(AP) – Although he’s not on the ballot this year, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is the target of new TV ads released Monday by a conservative group supporting a voter proposition that would limit the governor’s budget-balancing powers.
The ads from the Missouri Club for Growth accuse the Democratic governor of “playing political games” with budget cuts while urging support for proposed Constitutional Amendment 10 on the November ballot
The proposal would allow legislators to override a governor’s decision to freeze or slow spending on items in the state budget. It also would bar governors from assuming new revenues from policy proposals when making budget recommendations to the Legislature.
The measure was referred to the ballot by the Republican-led Legislature, which has grown increasingly frustrated with Nixon as he has repeatedly cut, frozen or delayed spending in recent years. In some cases, Nixon has cited declining state revenues, but in others he has used his budget-cutting powers as leverage to persuade legislators not to enact tax breaks that Nixon feared could harm state revenues.
Nixon said Monday that he plans to vote against the amendment on Nov. 4 because it could “lessen the fiscal strength” of the state that has allowed it to maintain a good credit rating.
“I don’t think it’s right for us to limit the power of the chief executive, the power that’s been used by governors over the years,” Nixon said after a press conference in St. Louis about a planned expansion by aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
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