Governor Nixon sets some priorities for the next legislative session…and he’s already saying “yes” and “no” to some money issues.
Nixon wants fewer licensing and regulating commissions in the natural resources department, tougher campaign finance and ethics laws, more childhood education, more A-plus scholarships, more performance funding for higher education. He wants more job training, more tourism promotion, more help for domestic violence victims, and Medicaid expansion.
Some of these things will require more money than they’re getting now. One thing he says “no” to is any more tax cuts. “We need a certain level of resources to operate the functions of government,” he says.
But he does not want tax increases either. He thinks the additional funds will come from natural tax growth and savings from cutting other programs.