Missouri governor cuts $146 million; colleges take hit

January 16, 2017 at 9:15 p.m. | Updated January 17, 2017 at 12:47 p.m.

by Associated Press

Missouri Republican Governor-elect Eric Greitens delivers a victory speech Nov. 8 in Chesterfield. Greitens will make budget cuts after his January inauguration and focus on jobs, ethics reform, public safety and "education reform" next legislative session, his senior adviser Austin Chambers said Thursday.
Missouri Republican Governor-elect Eric Greitens delivers a victory speech Nov. 8 in Chesterfield. Greitens will make budget cuts after his January inauguration and focus on jobs, ethics reform, public safety and "education reform" next legislative session, his senior adviser Austin Chambers said Thursday.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is cutting $146 million of spending from the budget, including tens of millions of dollars to public colleges and universities.

The Republican governor said the cuts announced Monday are necessary to keep the budget in balance because of lower than expected tax revenues and rising costs in certain programs such as Medicaid.

The cuts come just one week after Greitens took office and a day before he is to deliver his first State of the State address. They come on top of about $200 million of spending restrictions made by former Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.

The latest cuts include $56 million from the core budgets of public universities, nearly $12 million from community colleges and almost $9 million in busing aid for public K-12 school districts.