Governor Jay Nixon continued stumping across the state discouraging lawmakers from overriding his veto on an income tax cut bill. One stop was at the University of Missouri Columbia campus on Wednesday, where he said the bill could result in millions cut from higher education.
Governor Nixon said passing House Bill 253 could result in a funding slash of $67 million dollars per year for the state’s higher education institutions. His office said the University of Missouri System alone stands to lose $31 million dollars per year. And if a federal online sales tax bill passes, the state number jumps up to an estimated cut of $116 million dollars annually.
The governor also fired off a laundry list of education programs and positions in peril if the veto is overridden, including scholarships, faculty layoffs and research funding.
And although Republican House Speaker Tim Jones has recently told reporters that it will be difficult to garner enough votes for an override, Nixon said he will continue to point out the bill’s flaws and the gravity of the vote.
“My sense is that the legislators – many of whom did not realize all the problems this bill has – are recognizing very clearly that there is no reason to raise taxes on prescription drugs, defund our schools or jeopardize our AAA credit rating. I think they are communicating that with their leadership,” Nixon said.
The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene for its veto session in September.
