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Jay Nixon will deliver his fourth State of the State Address as Missouri Governor tonight. KBIA will air the the speech live at 7pm, hosted by St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin and Bill Raack.KBIA will also air the Republican Party response, followed by a live roundtable from the Capitol rotunda, featuring Intersection host Reuben Stern and four panelists.

Nixon slashes higher education budget but doesn't want tuition raised

Governor Jay Nixon
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Governor Jay Nixon

The governor wants to cut the state’s Higher Education budget by nearly 106 million dollars, or 12.5%.

During his address last Tuesday he indicated that he wants universities to leave tuition levels where they are:

“By the next decade," said Nixon, "nearly two-thirds of all jobs in the United States will require some kind of post-secondary education.  That means more Missouri kids will need a college degree, but too many families simply can’t afford the cost of a college education.”

Tuition hikes in Missouri are limited by law to the annual inflation rate, unless an institution gets permission from the state’s Higher Education Commissioner to raise it beyond that amount.  Last year, Governor Nixon withheld money from universities that he felt excessively raised tuition.  

Balancing the Budget

Governor Jay Nixon has highlighted that his proposed $23 billion budget includes no new taxes. But it does assume Missouri will take in tens of millions of dollars in new revenues that are dependent on legislative action.

For instance, Missouri lawmakers must create an amnesty period intended to entice tax scofflaws to pay up. They must authorize the federal government to deduct payments from businesses who owe Missouri money. They must raise fees charged to casinos. And finally, lawmakers must agree to pour more money into promoting the Missouri Lottery in the hopes that more people will buy tickets.  If lawmakers don't take these actions, Nixon's budget won't be balanced.

Nixon says he is confident lawmakers can pass the revenue enhancements. But Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer says he doubts they will all pass.

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.
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