STROUP PLEASED HANCOCK DEFEATED

Southeast Missouri State University President Kala Stroup was elated and relieved by the defeat of Hancock II Tuesday night.

The measure was defeated handily statewide. In Cape Girardeau County, voters rejected the measure by a 68-to-32 percent margin.

Stroup said passage of the measure would have spelled financial disaster for the university.

But supporters of Hancock II or Constitutional Amendment 7 said the measure would have ensured that taxes couldn't be enacted without voter approval.

Hancock II supporter Julia Kridelbaugh of Cape Girardeau said the measure was defeated because of the scare tactics of opponents, including state agencies like the university.

She said state employees were scared into thinking they would lose their jobs if the measure passed.

"There were such far-fetched claims about prisons closing and colleges closing," she said.

Southeast officials had repeatedly warned that passage of Constitutional Amendment 7 would have resulted in budget cuts totaling $11.5 million for the school.

Stroup said that wasn't scare tactics, but simply financial reality.

She said the defeat of Hancock II will allow the university to proceed with construction of the College of Business building.

"We thank the voters for taking the position that slashing a third or more from the current budgets of colleges and universities and other agencies is not a responsible way to control future taxation in Missouri," she said.