Governor Holden and state lawmakers gave about $135-Million extra to public education this year, just shy of what would have been considered full funding of public schools. Holden says it is too early to tell how much schools will need next year, but he says the money spent on education now benefits the state in years to come. As for higher education, Holden says he would not have been forced to cut the budgets of state colleges by $80-Million if the legislature would have given him the authority to tap the state emergency reserve fund, known as the Rainy Day Fund. Holden blames House Republicans, who refused to give him the two-thirds vote needed. Though the state treasurer has indicated that having the Rainy Day Fund has helped preserve Missouri’s Triple A bond rating, Holden insists the state could have retained the rating even if he had used the fund.
