By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – Republican budget writers in the Missouri House are criticizing Democratic Governor Jay Nixon's proposed state budget for relying on $300 million from Washington, which they say may or may not come.
One lawmaker is expressing his opinion by sponsoring a bill that would require two dollars be deducted from Governor Nixon's salary each pay period and be used to buy Powerball lottery tickets.
Any winnings would go into a special fund, and once the fund reaches $300 million, the contents would be transferred into general revenue.
The bill's sponsor is State Representative Mark Parkinson (R, St. Charles).
"The bill is silly! So I'm making my point as loudly as I can across the state of Missouri that we have to budget based on reality, not based on hope," Parkinson said.
Parkinson does not expect his legislation to advance.
When asked for a comment, a spokesman for Governor Nixon said that the bill was, "not worth commenting on."