Marshall Griffin

It appears that Democrats in the Missouri Senate have successfully stopped legislation that would have redefined what constitutes a maintenance project and exempted those being done on public property from the state's prevailing wage requirement.

The final week of Missouri's regular legislative session has arrived.  The Republican-led General Assembly and Democratic Governor Jay Nixon are pushing to get several things accomplished before Friday.  St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin tells us that the session, so far, has been one highlighted by partisanship and controversy.

Nixon vs. lawmakers, tax credit reform

Governor Jay Nixon (D) delivered a mixed report card Friday on the state budget and other bills passed by the Republican-controlled Missouri General Assembly this week.

While he complimented lawmakers for increasing funding for K-12 schools and higher education, he also criticized them for passing legislation that would cut state income tax rates for individuals and corporations.  He told reporters that the bill would gut state revenues by more than $800 million.

Missouri lawmakers have sent a nearly $25 billion budget to Governor Jay Nixon (D).

A proposal to cut state income taxes in Missouri for both individuals and businesses is on its way to Governor Jay Nixon (D).

Democratic Governor Jay Nixon on Wednesday warned Republican lawmakers that he’ll lay off state workers if full funding isn’t restored to the budget for the Missouri Department of Revenue’s Motor Vehicles division.

Republicans in the Missouri Senate have scaled back a proposal to cut state taxes in order to emulate tax cuts in neighboring Kansas and Oklahoma.

Governor Jay Nixon (D) has strongly objected to the bill's sales tax hike, saying it would hurt the poor and elderly the most.  That provision has been dropped.  House Bill 253 would now cut the personal income tax rate by half a percentage point and the corporate rate by three points, and phase them both in over the next 10 years.  Republican Will Kraus of Lee’s Summit is handling the measure in the Senate.

Missouri House and Senate budget negotiators have crafted a final version of next year's state budget.

The nearly $25 billion spending plan includes a $66 million increase for K-12 schools, and a $25 million hike for state universities and community colleges.  It still does not include the Medicaid expansion proposed by Governor Jay Nixon (D), which disappointed committee member and State Senator Kiki Curls (D, Kansas City).

House and Senate budget negotiators have agreed to restore most, but not all, of the funding for Missouri’s Motor Vehicles division within the Department of Revenue.

The Missouri General Assembly has sent Governor Jay Nixon (D) legislation that would provide a targeted roll back of the state's prevailing wage.