JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri’s general revenue fund — paid into by tax payers each year — is not growing as fast as it used to, causing challenges for lawmakers and Gov. Jay Nixon as he plans to unveil his budget on Wednesday for Fiscal Year 2016.

The liberal-leaning Missouri Budget Project on Tuesday revealed a report claiming that Missouri missed out on as much as $1 billion in revenues last year as a result of 20 tax cuts over the last 16 years.

Each year, lawmakers and the governor agree on how much they expect revenues to grow to match a growing budget. Growth has slowed, and in 2014, did not meet Nixon’s nor the legislature’s revenue goals. The amount of revenue coming in is recovering, but it is not matching the growth in personal income.

“While the ratio is slightly higher than during the recession years, it is well below the levels of the 1980s and drastically under that of the 1990s,” the report found.

Amy Blouin, executive Director of the Missouri Budget Project, said she is concerned it could be harming the state’s ability to fund priorities like education and roads.

“Quality education, reliable infrastructure, and a solid safety net when times are hard are all necessary to create and maintain good jobs and a good quality of life in Missouri,” she said. “But because Missouri’s revenue has failed to keep pace with the economy, instead our state is struggling to fund education, health, and other services that develop our human capital.”