The House has passed a budget that Governor Jay Nixon (D) says continues a failure to prioritize public education.

Governor Jay Nixon (D)

Governor Jay Nixon (D)

“This legislature is once again veering dangerously off course,” said Nixon. “I’ve said it many times: education is the best economic development tool there is and it’s a value we share as Missourians.”

“Unfortunately, there are those who don’t share this priority. With the legislative session not even halfway over, I’m deeply troubled by a trend that’s already developing: a repeated failure to prioritize public education, and a cynical effort to hide it.”

Nixon’s budget plan includes an additional $85-million for the formula used to fund K-12 education. The House is proposing a $71-million increase.

Nixon also proposed an additional $56-million in higher education performance funding. The House reduced that to a 2% increase for all colleges and universities except the University of Missouri, and that increase would only be funded if revenue increases as much as Governor Nixon predicts, which is more than the estimate the House based its budget on.

“Underfunding our schools…Increasing college tuition… Passing more irresponsible tax breaks…Weakening the foundation formula for our K-12 classrooms…Taking money from school kids and using it to fund potholes. That’s just not what you do when public education is your top priority,” said Nixon.

The Senate begins work on that budget proposal next week.