The 2025 fiscal year in Missouri began with Governor Mike Parson vetoing over $1 billion from the state budget, citing an expensive education bill as the main reason for the cuts. The governor mentioned that the education bill would cost $400 million more than expected, primarily due to teacher raises and incentives for schools to operate five days a week. The Missouri Budget Project, a non-partisan think tank, attributed the tight budget to income tax cuts implemented the previous year. President and CEO Amy Blouin expressed concerns that future budget cuts might affect education and healthcare services due to the tax cuts’ impact on state revenue. Democrats such as Rep. Peter Merideth criticized Republican tax cuts for causing a loss in revenue, while Republican lawmakers declined to comment on the budget cuts. Lawmakers will begin working on the 2026 Missouri budget in January.
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