Countdown to budget deadline begins in Missouri legislature
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The deadline for the Missouri legislature to approve the fiscal 2023 state budget is Friday, but lawmakers still have several things to do before they're ready to put the bills on the governor's desk.
House and Senate members are scheduled to conference Tuesday morning to finalize the budget that will go to Gov. Mike Parson. Senators added in over a billion dollars from the House version of the budget, a large portion of that going toward education and workforce development -- areas Parson emphasized in his State of the State in January when he laid out his budget priorities.
The Senate Appropriations Committee will meet Monday afternoon before the full chamber gavels in for the week to go over some of the remaining budget bills. Bills laying out American Rescue Plan funds are on the agenda.
Appropriations Chair Sen. Dan Hegeman (R-Crosby) told reporters last Thursday lawmakers will not go to conference until the committee has finished going over the remaining budget bills.
"We still got some committee work to do on some of the capital budgets, the higher number budget bills, so we hope to do some of that," Hegeman said.
A conference consists of six members from each chamber. Conference allows lawmakers to work in a bicameral manner on issues the House and Senate disagree on.
Hegeman said there are some Senate positions he'll be unwilling to compromise, but would not elaborate on what those are. He said school transportation is something he's willing to discuss. The Senate budget would add funds for transportation not included in the House budget.
"We will negotiate [school transportation]," Hegeman said. "We will see. I do like where we're at on that, but that's just part of the process."
The 2023 budget has a record surplus because of federal funding the state received to help with pandemic recovery. Sen. Brian Williams (D-St. Louis), who sits on the Appropriations Committee, said getting that money to those in need is the party's top priority for the last two weeks of the session.
"I think the priority right now is just getting the budget done," Williams said. "Getting that done and getting that money to various parts of the state for people that need it to ultimately recover from COVID."
