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Mo. Supreme Court rules for governor in budget battle

Missouri Supreme Court
Americasroof
/
Wikimedia Commons

The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled for Gov. Jay Nixon in a budget battle with State Auditor Tom Schweich.

The court ruled Tuesday that Schweich lacked legal standing at the time to challenge about $170 million of spending cuts announced by Nixon in June 2011. The court said the challenge amounted to a pre-audit of state spending, which it said the auditor cannot do.

Schweich said the ruling is merely technical and he will consider suing again after doing a new audit of the governor's office.

Nixon said the ruling affirms his authority to balance the budget.

Nixon partially based the budget cuts on an expectation that Missouri would incur large costs from a deadly tornado that hit Joplin. But the tornado costs came in lower than expected.