General Assembly passes $23.2 billion budget
The Missouri General Assembly passed a $23.2 billion state budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, but the governor said more cuts will be needed before he signs it into law.
Funding for the state's public colleges will be cut by $42 million or about 5 percent. This maintains the tuition freeze for in-state undergraduate students Nixon and public universities agreed to in November.
In all, the package contains $484 million in cuts, although the governor had asked lawmakers to cut $500 million because of falling state tax revenues due to the economic downturn.
Gov. Jay Nixon released a statement shortly after the budget's passage which praised lawmakers for not increasing taxes or tuition, but also warned of cuts still to come.
“As most legislators know, passing these budget bills is an important step, but it will not fully solve Missouri’s fiscal challenges this year," Nixon said. “Over the coming weeks, I look forward to going through this budget line by line to ensure that Missourians’ tax dollars are spent in the most efficient and effective manner possible.”
