Governor Holden delivered the state of the state address this morning at the Capitol in front of members the Missouri legislature. Holden says the budget will be tight this year, but he won’t seek an across the board tax hike to acheive a balanced budget. Holden recommends some core budget cuts totalling 480 million dollars for next fiscal year. The Governor says 688 state jobs will be eliminated, but most of those are already vacant positions. Holden also outlined his education plan for the state… what he calls his top priority during the legislative session… and plans to continue Missouri’s security efforts in the wake of the September terrorist attacks.

Listen to State of the State and Budget Address  audio