Gov. Holden slaps legislature for lack of progress with budget

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Democratic Gov. Bob Holden chided the Republican-led Missouri Legislature on Friday for advancing its conservative agenda instead of the state budget, which must be sent to his desk in one week.

Holden has been touring the state this week criticizing the spending cuts in the Republicans' proposed budget and touting his own plan, which would ask voters to raise taxes to avoid the cuts.

The legislature, meanwhile, spent considerable time this week debating bills discouraging abortion, restricting state environmental regulations and allowing concealed guns. The Senate also considered ways to raise revenue without tax increases.

The Missouri Constitution requires the legislature to send a budget to the governor by May 9. The legislative session ends the next week, May 16.

Senators and House members have endorsed differing versions of the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. The House passed its version in March; the Senate passed its version last week.

Typically, negotiators from the House and Senate meet in public sessions to hash out a compromise budget. But lawmakers let the whole week pass without any formal negotiations.

That leaves only next week for lawmakers to agree upon and pass a budget, which Holden has threatened to veto if it is balanced only with cuts and one-time revenue sources. He prefers a budget contingent upon voter approval of new taxes.

"If the Republican leaders cannot draft a budget worthy of our great state, they should have the decency to let our citizens vote on the revenue plan I have proposed," Holden told journalists at The Associated Press Managing Editors and Missouri Society of Newspaper Editors conference in Columbia.

Holden suggested lawmakers were spending their time on the wrong topics.

"The most important issue we have got facing the state of Missouri is the budget and how we're going to fund our education program, our health-care program and those vital services in this state," Holden said in an interview. "And that should be all of our No. 1 priority."

Holden's failing

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder said Holden was the one failing to focus on a budget compromise.

Holden met individually with 14 Republican senators last week and met twice with Kinder and House Speaker Catherine Hanaway. He also met for about 30 minutes with Kinder on Monday. But Kinder said they have not discussed the budget since then.

"He's not much of a factor right now. He's too busy holding press conferences," said Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau.

Besides his appearance before journalists, Holden also was to speak about the budget Friday in Hannibal and attend a groundbreaking ceremony for a new highway in Kirksville.

"He needs to park the plane and come to the table," Kinder said.

Although they have not been formally meeting, House and Senate budget leaders have held general, informal discussions this week, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman John Russell, R-Lebanon.

Added Kinder: "The budget work goes on day and night, around the clock."