Gov. Jay Nixon and senior members of his administration will visit the Branson Public Schools District Office on Tuesday to discuss the impact of House Bill 253 with area school administrators, teachers, school board members and others, according to Nixon’s office.
Nixon vetoed House Bill 253 in June, calling it an unaffordable experiment that would force dramatic cuts to education and raise taxes on prescription drugs, and the legislature has the opportunity to override that veto during veto session Sept. 11.
Sen. Gina Walsh (D-Bellefontaine Neighbors) says she voted no on the bill during regular session, and she’ll vote no again.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, every day in the press … if we’re not in Jefferson City, we get the information the same way everyone else does, through you guys,” Walsh said in an interview. “I’ve heard that it could be a slam-dunk and I’ve heard that it could be a rough veto session. So I don’t know what to think of it.”
Nixon’s office reports that data requested by the Missouri Association of School Administrators from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shows that House Bill 253 would drain hundreds of millions of dollars from public schools throughout the state.
“I think the bill is a bad idea,” Walsh says. “I think it will hurt people, especially in my district, which is a poor district, there are a lot of senior citizens… putting a sales tax on medication would absolutely hurt them.”
House Republicans will need all 109 votes to override the veto in September. That includes getting a few Republicans who voted against the measure during regular session to change their votes to a “yes” this time around.
AUDIO: Jessica Machetta reports (1:12)