By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt says he will probably sign the legislature's budget proposal soon.
Lawmakers sent him a $19 billion plan Thursday that increases state spending by nearly two percent.
It provides extra funding for public schools, but critics say it hurts the poor and elderly because it cuts nearly 91-thousand people from the Medicaid program.
Governor Blunt says he could make some final changes before signing the bill.
"We always have a thorough review of any legislation. The budget is essentially, in many ways, what I recommended the Missouri general assembly enact," Blunt said. "There may be places where we exercise the line-item veto, but those decisions will be made in a thoughtful way over the next few days."
Blunt says there will be no changes in Medicaid eligibility for children, the blind, or pregnant women, nor will state taxes go up.
Meanwhile, about 100 protesters gathered Friday afternoon in front of the Governor's Office in the Capitol and called on the governor to reject the budget passed by lawmakers.