Special session - Gov. Bob Holden

Here is the prepared text of Gov. Bob Holden's speech Thursday to the Missouri Legislature, which is convened in a special session:

Madame Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tem, First Lady Lori Hauser Holden, and members of the 92nd General Assembly:

We are here today for one reason and one reason alone.

I called for this special session of the legislature, because the work of the people remains unfinished.

As all of you know, our state finds itself in the gravest of circumstances.

How else can you describe a budgetary crisis where you, the state legislature, did not present a balanced budget as required by our constitution?

By your actions, you have now demonstrated it is not possible to balance Missouri's budget without devastating cuts to education and health care or new sources of revenue.

And, even with a one-time infusion of federal funds, your budget is still severely out of balance, which means that your work, and my work, is far from finished.

To claim that this federal money will solve our budget problems is like finding a 10-dollar bill and thinking you'll never have to pay for lunch again.

You're either deceiving yourself or trying to deceive the people.

The truth is, no one is going to rescue us from this imbalance.

That's our responsibility as public servants.

It's not public service to pass an unbalanced budget and then wait for someone else to solve the problem.

It's not public service to ignore fiscal reality and claim revenues that don't exist.

It's not public service to apply one-time federal funds and claim that the problem is solved, when clearly it isn't.

And it's not public service to protect the tobacco and gambling interests at the expense of our young, our sick, and our elderly.

Let me say this as clearly and as bluntly as I can: You are not fooling anyone.

Even with your severe cuts to education and health care, your budget still does not balance.

And you've done nothing to solve the underlying problems that created this budget crisis in the first place.

Which means that next year we'll be right back here in the same budget hole unless we rise to our duty, face reality, and solve this problem together.

Because Missouri deserves better than this.

We can do better than a budget that throws thousands of working adults off of Medicaid.

We can do better than a budget that eliminates mental health services for thousands of adults and troubled children.

We can do better than a budget that forces mass layoffs of public school teachers.

And we can do better than a budget that raises tuition and puts college out of reach for thousands of Missouri families.

This is the budget you have presented and this is the budget I have vetoed.

Over the last two years, I've cut over $1 billion in state spending -- more than any governor in Missouri history.

We've cut fat.

Now you're cutting the bone.

We can't allow that to happen.

Some of you have said that "people should be doing more for themselves."

Well, tell that to the parents of an autistic child as if those parents weren't already doing all that they can in a difficult situation.

Tell that to a child whose teacher has been laid off as if children could teach themselves how to read.

Or tell that to a low-income worker stricken with pneumonia.

Tell them to heal themselves, because there just isn't enough money to pay for health care.

We cannot balance this budget by pointing fingers at those in our society who fall short of perfection or by shredding the safety net that allows thousands of citizens to live their lives with dignity and good health.

In Missouri, we're better than that.

I don't think all of you believe in survival of the fittest.

I believe more thoughtful heads can prevail.

Governor's solution

You all know my proposed solution.

By closing corporate tax loopholes raising cigarette and gambling taxes and by raising the income tax on those who make more than $200,000 per year, we can balance our budget without cutting education and health care.

As you are also aware, we are not a high-tax state.

Missouri has a tradition of respecting the hard-earned dollars of working families.

That's why we're ranked 44th in the nation in total tax burden on our citizens.

This proposal reflects the best of that tradition.

The undeniable truth is that the vast majority of Missouri taxpayers won't pay one penny more in taxes.

Clearly, some of you agree and some of you disagree.

For those who disagree, your solution is to rely only on devastating cuts to education and health care while protecting the tobacco and gambling companies.

I'm not willing to trade teachers and doctors for cigarettes and poker chips.

And your solution rips the safety net out from under our most vulnerable while sheltering some of our biggest corporations from paying their fair share.

I am not willing to sacrifice our mentally ill and disabled to protect a corporate tax loophole.

To me, and to hundreds of thousands of Missouri families across this state, it's a clear choice.

But for some reason, here in the State Capitol, we're at an impasse.

I want to let the people decide.

That's why I'm asking for a public vote.

Let's allow the voters of this state to make an informed decision.

An increase in cigarette and gambling taxes or fewer teachers in the classroom.

Corporate tax loopholes or health care for low-income children.

Drastic cuts or sensible tax reform.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Missouri Constitution demands that we do something.

And we can either close this gap the right way or the wrong way.

I say let the people decide.

Here's another way to look at the question before you.

By blocking a budget referendum, you are telling the voters that they need to be protected from themselves.

I trust the people of this state.

I trust their common sense, their fairness, and their values.

Abraham Lincoln once said: "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."

Well, the facts are on the table.

Your plan is on the table and so is mine.

If you're certain that you're right, then you shouldn't be afraid of a public vote.

And if you happen to be wrong, then who gets hurt?

Let the public speak

The public will have spoken.

We as a people have to decide what's most important to us.

And all of us as leaders have to remember who we're here to serve.

This is a difficult time in Missouri history and a difficult time for our country.

But I truly believe that we'll solve this budget crisis through the wisdom of our people and by the grace of God.

There are moments in our lives when there should be no shame in asking for guidance from a higher authority.

At a time of great disagreement among good people, this is one of those moments.

Today, the people of Missouri are a higher authority and we are their servants.

Pass the budget referendum and let the people decide.

Thank you very much and God bless the great state of Missouri.