This is priceless and pretty damn creative: [powerball]

Gov. Jay Nixon would be forced to gamble for funds to bolster the state’s declining budget under legislation proposed by a few Republican lawmakers.

It gets so much better:

The bill, proposed by Rep. Mark Parkinson, R-St. Charles County, would deduct $2 from Nixon’s paycheck twice a month to buy Powerball lottery tickets and place any potential winnings in a fund called “Governor Nixon’s Scratch-off, Match-off Fund.”

Nixon’s office is apparently not amused:

“It’s not worth commenting on,” Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said.

If you’re wondering if the dude who proposed the legislation actually plays the lottery…

“I think it’s a self-imposed tax on stupidity,” he said.

Never a dull moment in the Midwest.

h/t Lazy Hazy