University of Missouri students are speaking out against a Missouri bill that would cut income-taxes in the state, and that critics call detrimental to education funding. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon vetoed the bill, and spent the summer campaigning widely to avoid a legislative override of that veto.
MU students crowded into the MU Student Center last night to take a stand against a veto override for House Bill 253, calling the gathering “Kill the Bill.”
Brooke Pollard is a junior at MU: “I think it's important just to show like the lawmakers and all the people that are in charge that like we do care," she said. "We do pay attention and we care about what’s going on with our school. Like, we don’t want to be spending more money that we don’t need to.”
Critics of the bill say the legislation could bring tuition increases, decreased wages for faculty and staff, enrollment caps or a four percent state sales tax on college textbooks.
MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and UM President Tim Wolfe joined students at the gathering. Deaton says there is nothing more important to the quality of life in our state than the quality of higher education.
“I join with you in being very concerned about the potential negative effect of this particular tax reduction on the quality of student life and of the academic offerings here at our University,” Deaton told the students.
The Republican-led Legislature meets next week to consider overriding the Democratic governor's vetoes of legislation.
