Missouri's budget battle has escalated.
Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon launched the latest volley Tuesday when he vetoed or froze more than $1.1 billion in spending authorized by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
In response to the governor's actions, expect GOP outrage, not surrender.
The combatants in this partisan battle will continue attempting to gain leverage and converts prior to the decisive veto session in September.
As our readers will recall, the Republican Legislature during the regular session approved tax cut legislation, one of their priorities. Nixon vetoed the bill, but the GOP succeeded in overriding the veto.
We supported that override because: the bill was refined during two sessions, the amount was reduced, flaws were corrected, safeguards were included and the effective date is 2017.
Not satisfied with - and emboldened by - that victory, Republicans on the final day of the session approved additional tax cut measures.
Republicans characterized them as benign - largely clarifications of existing tax policy.
Nixon disagreed. He called them budget busters and vetoed them. We agree and already have supported his vetoes.
Now he has followed up with a new series of freezes, withholds and vetoes topping $1 billion - an over-reaction to the Republicans' over-reaching.
The proverbial "two wrongs don't make a right" applies.
The governor's spending freezes and withholds account for $846 million in cuts, including elementary and higher education, and health care. Those can be undone if revenues exceed projections.
Nixon's line-item budget vetoes, which include nearly $276 million, cannot be undone unless overridden.
This partisan battle has become much too personal and much too excessive.
Sadly, Missourians will be caught in the cross-fire and suffer collateral damage.
It's time for both sides to de-escalate or risk losing all support.