Gov. Nixon responds to Norquist's comments

  In Springfield Tuesday, Governor Jay Nixon continued to rally support for his expected veto of an income tax cut bill. He questioned the credibility of outside interests that are campaigning for a veto override.
 
The Democratic Governor’s statements came a day after Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist joined Republican House Speaker Tim Jones to challenge Nixon’s arguments on SB 509, which was passed two weeks ago. While the Governor has called education a top priority, Norquist said Nixon’s plan to cut education funding should lawmakers uphold the bill tells the people that education is his lowest priority.
 
Nixon called Norquist’s comments “political speak.”
 
“When people come from Washington, D.C. and tell me how to do finances my eyes glaze over pretty darn quickly. And then they want to talk politics beyond that? Boy, that’s a solution to the problem. Let’s be fiscally undisciplined, and then let’s come here and try to bark as loud as we can to try and get headlines. That is now what I am going to follow,” Nixon said.
 
The deadline for Nixon to take action on the bill is Thursday, May 1.