GOP House leadership gives update on budget, upcoming special session

House majority leaders held a news conference Thursday afternoon to discuss members passing a state budget and what comes next for the final week of the regular legislative session.

“I think all around it’s a great budget,” said Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, chairman of the budget committee. “It’s a bipartisan budget, a budget that really every member should be able to go home and be proud of.”

House members passed all budget bills Wednesday evening, while the Senate passed all but one. Senators have until 6 p.m. Friday to decide on HB2019, which would “appropriate money for purposes for the several departments and offices of state government; for planning and capital improvements.”

Fitzpatrick said highlights to this year’s budget include fully funding the education formula and preventing nearly $70 million in cuts to higher education.

House Speaker Todd Richardson said the FY2019 budget is the largest in the state’s history, due to a growing state economy.

“We’re really excited to be able to fund the state’s priorities at the level they were funded this year without asking Missourians to pay a dime in new taxes,” he said.

Richardson said signed budget bills as well as other bills passed by lawmakers this legislative session will follow the normal order of business getting to the governor’s desk.

“So it’s my intention, just like we normally do, to be back in Jefferson City and sign those bills on the 30th of May,” he said.

Lawmakers will finish the regular legislative session at 6 p.m. May 18. The special session is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. the same day.

Richardson said there is no set agenda for the special session at this time.

In a historic move, the state legislature decided to call itself in for a special session to give the House committee investigating Gov. Eric Greitens more time to complete its work and make recommendations on possible disciplinary action against the governor.

Richardson said they are still working to determine whether rules and procedures regarding the special session will be established next week before the regular session ends or at the start of the special session.

It’s unclear if committee hearings will remain closed.

“As part of the investigation, there are elements of that that the committee has had to do privately,” he said. he said. “But as we move into the special session, those things will be conducted in a very, open transparent manner.”