JEFFERSON CITY - One day before Gov. Bob Holden delivers his annual budget plan, a House Committee approved a constitutional change that would ban the approach the governor took last year to balance the budget.
The House Budget Committee voted to send a proposed constitutional amendment to the full House that would prohibit the governor from proposing any new tax increases to balance the budget. Republican Senators held a simaltaneous press conference declaring their intention to do the same.
Currently, the governor can propose tax increases to fund his budget.
Last year, the governor proposed a package of tax increases exceeding $600 million to fund his budget plan. His tax plan would have required statewide voter approval.
Rep. Bradley Roark, R-Springfield, who is sponsoring the House measure, said the proposed constitutional amendment would end this practice, and prohibit the governor from balancing the budget using what he called "imaginary revenue."
"Only existing revenues would be allowed (to be budgeted)," Roark said. "No future revenues could be used."
Roark said the amendment would essentially require any tax increases the governor might want to be first passed by the legislature, then approved by the voters themselves in the fall, before the money could be used. Only then could the governor use those funds in his budget -- in other words, not until the following year, Roark said.
Democrats took issue with the measure, however, and argued the amendment would severely curtail the powers of the governor.
"It sounds like we're getting close to the Texas model here, where the governor has no power," said Rep. Marsha Campbell, D-Jackson County.
Rep. Vicky Riback Wilson, D-Columbia, said she thought it was the legislature's responsibility to approve a budget, and governor's role was to simply "present ideas."
"It doesn't matter what the governor says," Wilson said.
The debate within the committee became heated at times, as when Roark asserted the amendment represented a "common sense" approach. Wilson shot back: "Are you suggesting 197 elected officials don't have the common sense to make a budget?"
Ray McCarty, director of fiscal affairs for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, said depending on tax increases that have yet to be put to a vote is risky business.
"You can't budget money you don't have," McCarty said.
But skeptics of the plan were not convinced. Wilson told the committee the measure would be "changing the role of the governor."
The final vote was 12 in favor, 7 against -- sending the measure to the full House for consideration.
At the same time the House committee was hearing testimony, Republican Senators held a press conference announcing their intention to back a similar amendment in that chamber.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, who is sponsoring the Senate version of the proposed amendment, said he thought the voters were not likely to approve another tax increase, and therefore the governor should not be allowed to plan for one.
"Voters have rejected the last three tax increases," Kinder said at a press conference Tuesday. "The message is clear. Don't raise taxes to balance the budget."
Kinder said he wanted to see the governor offer a balanced budget based on the revenue the state is expected to collect under current law -- not on "tax increases that would require voter approval."
"We think it's necessary to restore some discipline to the process," Kinder said.
If the constitutional amendment is passed by the General Assembly, the measure will be placed on the ballot for voters' approval in November.
Gov. Holden will deliver his State of the State Address this morning at 10:30 a.m. to a joint session of the General Assembly.