By KCUR/KWMU
Kansas City, MO – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt says he does not remember seeing a memo touting the political benefits of a proposal requiring school districts spend 65 cents of every dollar in the classroom.
A national group called First Class Education is pushing the education plan. A memo by the group says the proposed ballot issue will give Republicans a way to show they're improving education without increasing taxes. It also suggested the idea might cause a rift between education unions.
But Blunt says he doesn't recall it: "I don't remember seeing any memo, but that's, again ,this is an idea that ought to be discussed on it's merits.
"And I think we ought to spend more dollars, more education dollars in the classroom. There's really a lot of peripheral issues in this discussion but this is really about teacher salaries."
A spokesperson for the governor's office said Blunt became interested in the proposal when it was advanced in other states, and that First Class Education had provided information to the governor's policy staff.