Gov. Nixon to freeze millions of spending in new Missouri budget

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Jay Nixon said he likely will freeze tens of millions of dollars of spending in Missouri’s new budget.

Missouri’s roughly $27 billion operating budget for the 2017 fiscal year is to take effect Friday.

Nixon said Tuesday he wants to analyze the final revenue figures for the current fiscal year before announcing his initial spending restrictions for the new budget July 6.

The Democratic governor said the budget passed by the Republican-led Legislature clearly will require some spending restrictions. He said the exact amount remains to be determined but “will be in the tens of millions” of dollars.

Nixon said that’s a relatively small amount compared to some of the spending reductions he’s made in previous years.