Members of the Missouri House have approved a budget that cuts more than $400-Million deeper into state operations than Governor Bob Holden recommended as Democrats harshly criticized both the cuts and how majority Republicans got there. Bearden is relying on a separate revenue package to bring the budget into balance. Republicans rejected Governor Holden’s proposal to take a cigarette tax to a vote of the people, to raise gambling taxes, and to add a income tax surcharge to the wealthiest Missourians to avoid further cuts. The Senate today plans to wrap up work on the $19-Billion budget prior to the six o’clock deadline.
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