JEFFERSON CITY - While Republicans remain united in their commitment to build on their successes on behalf of hard working Missourians, Jay Nixon will continue to bear the burden of his support for a variety of misguided policies including his longtime support for job-killing tax increases, funding cuts for education and his promise to destroy health care reforms that are improving the lives of thousands of low-income and uninsured Missourians.

“Missouri Republicans remain united and committed to building on our successes on behalf of hard-working Missourians and we will continue to hold Jay Nixon accountable for a long record of supporting tax increases, education cuts, opposition to health care reform and a host of other positions that show that he is just plain wrong for Missouri,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “Missouri Republicans have ushered in a new era of prosperity and responsible government while Nixon and his fellow Democrats want to return to an era of damaging policies that left this state in ruin just a few short years ago.”

Nixon would force Missourians to dip deeper into their pocket books to the tune of $1 billion to resuscitate the old, broken Medicaid system by seeking to match federal funding requirements. Ironically, it was Nixon who chose to go to court to defend Bob Holden’s Medicaid cuts that slashed benefits to at least 300,000 Missourians. Nixon was also willing to go to court to defend Holden’s education cuts and more recently he opposed the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative that provided $330 million in new funding for students at Missouri’s colleges and universities along with $72 million for student scholarships. Nixon’s flawed plans for Missouri include his public support in a Project Vote Smart questionnaire in which he clearly supported providing taxpayer-financed welfare benefits for illegal immigrants.

What Nixon and his fellow Democrats cannot hide from is the fact that Republicans ended the Democrat legacy of a $1.1 billion budget deficit and created three consecutive budget surpluses, a $1.2 billion increase in education funding and a responsive and fiscally responsible health care system for all Missourians. The Republican successes on behalf of Missourians have been accomplished without the job-killing tax increases Nixon would impose on Missourians.

“Republicans stand for fiscal responsibility and are committed to keeping their promises to improve the lives of hard-working Missourians while Jay Nixon and the Democrats want to take the state in the wrong direction. That will be the difference as we head to November,” Sloca said. “The state of the state and the Republican Party in Missouri both remain strong and both will grow stronger.”