Governor Matt Blunt affirms education remains his number one priority, sticks with his 65-percent solution for schools, defends Medicaid cuts, promises to protect property rights and proposes a crackdown on child sex offenders – all in his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature. The Governor says the state budget should reflect that education – Kindergarten through college – should be the top fiscal priority of state government. Blunt proposes $167-Million more for education and a two percent increase for colleges. He wants more money for residential care facilities, anti-tobacco programs, and energy assistance. He would require all gasoline sold in Missouri to contain at least 10-percent ethanol. State employees would get a four percent raise. Blunt strongly defends the Medicaid cuts of last year, saying they were vital in balancing the budget. Blunt is proposing $25-Million be set aside for a new Healthcare Technology Fund to improve delivery of health care. Blunt now goes on a two day fly-around across the state to promote his legislative agenda.
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