Nixon sets Jan. 20 for final State of the State

Gov. Jay Nixon delivers his 2015 State of the State address.
Gov. Jay Nixon delivers his 2015 State of the State address.

Gov. Jay Nixon will deliver the final "State of the State" address of his administration at 7 p.m. Jan. 20.

The speech will include details of his legislative and economic priorities for the final year of his second term.

The governor also will present his recommended budget to the General Assembly that day, for the 2016-17 state budget year that begins July 1.

Whoever voters choose as the next governor, in the Nov. 8 general elections, will deliver next year's State of the State message.

The annual event actually combines two of the governor's duties.

Missouri's Constitution says the governor shall "at the commencement of each session of the general assembly, at the close of his term of office, and at such other times as he may deem necessary, give to the general assembly information as to the state of the government, and shall recommend to its consideration such measures as he shall deem necessary and expedient."

The second requirement involves the budget, and was modified by voters in November 2014.

With the new language, the Constitution requires the governor to, "within thirty days after it convenes in each regular session, submit to the general assembly a budget for the ensuing appropriation period, containing the estimated available revenues of the state and a complete and itemized plan of proposed expenditures of the state and all its agencies."

The 2014 amendment blocked the governor from proposing a spending plan using any new income that lawmakers also had to approve - a practice the Constitution had allowed before the 2014 vote.

But, as in the past, the governor still may include any money expected to be a surplus from the current business year, as part of the revenue estimate in the new budget proposal.

Nothing in the Constitution requires the Legislature to use the governor's proposed budget - and lawmakers historically have made numerous changes to the governor's proposals.

Whatever changes they make, the Constitution requires both the House and Senate to agree on one package of budget measures no later than 6 p.m. "on the first Friday following the first Monday in May of each year."

Nixon's 2016 State of the State address to a joint session will be delivered in the House Chamber.

The address also will be streamed live through the state's Web portal, www.MO.gov.