Missouri Governor Jay Nixon today announced an additional $301.4 million in budget cuts for fiscal year 2011 (FY 2011), which begins on July 1, 2010.  These significant cuts come at a time when the Governor has announced his interest in holding a special legislative session to approve $15 million per year in tax incentives for Ford Motor Company at the expense of state employees’ retirement benefits.  Click here to read a news release on this latest round of budget cuts. 

Two proposals up for consideration during a special legislative session of the Missouri General Assembly would expand spending on tax incentives for Ford Motor Company by $10 million per year and ‘pay for’ this increase through significant cuts to pension benefits for state employees.   Click here to read a statement from Amy Blouin. 

Click here to read a news release on the end of the 2010 Missouri legislative session.

Missouri families living below the poverty level in 2009 faced a substantial state income tax liability, according to a report released today by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  Click here to learn more. 

Click here to read a statement from the Missouri Budget Project on the recently filed substitute to Senate Joint Resolution 29, which dramatically changes Missouri’s tax structure. 

Governor Nixon, who has already made nearly $700 million in cuts, vetoes or withholds to the state’s budget for the current fiscal year – and included significant funding cuts in his proposed FY 2011 budget – announced that further budget cuts would be needed this fiscal year to offset the decline in state revenue.  Click here to read a press release on the need for a balanced approach to face the budget shortfall.

A new analysis by the National Employment Law Project shows that over 20,000 unemployed Missouri workers will become ineligible for federal unemployment insurance benefits in March unless Congress passes an immediate extension of the unemployment programs from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. By June, more than 90,000 unemployed Missouri residents are set to run out of their jobless benefits with no further support.  Click here to read a news release on this topic.

Click here to read a statement from Missouri Budget Project Executive Director Amy Blouin in response to Governor Nixon’s State of the State Address.

Seven provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  of 2009 (ARRA), passed in February, are keeping approximately 105,000 Missourians from falling into poverty this year. Click here to read a news release about a new report new report from the Washington, DC-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Low- and middle-income families in Missouri pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than the richest families in Missouri, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy.  Click here to read a news release on the report.

Poor families in Missouri continue to face substantial state income tax liability, according to a new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  Click here to read a news release about the report.

Click here to read a news release on $203,741,063 in additional budget restrictions, announced by Governor Jay Nixon, for Missouri government offices and programs during FY 2010.

Click here to read a news release on a report from the Missouri Budget Project that shows while the current economic recession has caused significant hardship in our state, the decline for Missouri’s working families started years ago, beginning with the economic downturn in 2001.

St. Louis, MO. – Business, faith and community health care leaders from across the region joined together Thursday at the Family Care Health Center in St. Louis to speak in support of federal health care reform. Click here to read more.

St. Louis, MO – On Friday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed into law a bill passed by the Missouri Legislature that will extend benefits for unemployed Missourians. An estimated 35,000 Missourians could benefit from this extension. Approximately 15,000 Missourians will exhaust their current unemployment benefits between April and June of 2009 alone.... Read more >

St. Louis, MO – Today the Missouri Budget Project, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy analysis organization, released a report detailing the State’s use of federal recovery funds. The extensive report lists the amount of funding each state agency received, for what purposes it will be used, and how it will affect the lives of Missourians.... Read more >

St. Louis, MO The Missouri General Assembly  adjourned  today after a legislative session that offered legislators many opportunities to assist low income families during these difficult  times, often  at  little or no  cost  to  the  state. While some positive steps were taken, other critical proposals fell victim to political posturing.... Read more >