Governor Jay Nixon returned to St Joseph Wednesday, once again touting his veto of House Bill 253.

Nixon called the income tax measure a “reckless experiment cooked up by a few special interests.”

Education leaders gathered at the St Joseph School District Troester Center to hear more of the governor’s reasons for vetoing the measure. About two weeks ago, Nixon visited a St Joseph pharmacy to point out that the measure would remove tax exemptions on prescription drugs.

“Even based on the General Assembly’s own estimates, House Bill 253 would funnel billions of dollars away from our public schools – and into the pockets of lawyers and lobbyists – each and every year,” Nixon said.

Data released last week by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at the request of the Missouri Association of School Administrators showed a breakdown of district funding levels under two scenarios if House Bill 253 becomes law.

The first scenario showed the impact using the General Assembly’s fiscal note, which estimates a total cost of $692 million each year once the bill is fully implemented. The second scenario showed the impact using funding levels if the Federal Marketplace Fairness Act becomes law, which would increase the cost of House Bill 253 to $1.2 billion as early as the current fiscal year.

State officials say the St Joseph School District would lose $3.5 million of its state appropriation. If the federal bill becomes law, officials say the district stands to lose as much as $6 million.

“With revenue reductions of this magnitude, almost all public services would be affected if House Bill 253 becomes law. But the impact on our K-12 schools would be among the most devastating to local communities, and harmful to our long-term economic growth,” Gov. Nixon said. “The fact is, members of the General Assembly can either support House Bill 253 or they can support education, but they can’t do both.”