Posted on Apr 27, 2023
Missouri Senate approves a $50 billion state budget — with library funding added back in
425
2
1
2
2
0
The Senate’s proposed budget is $4.2 billion more than what the Missouri House passed weeks ago. Like in the House, most of the debate in the Senate was spent over an amendment that would have inserted language against diversity, equity and inclusion.
Missouri Senators early Wednesday morning approved a $49.9 billion operating budget, which is $4.2 billion more than what the House passed weeks ago.
The budget returned to the House, where the body on Wednesday refused to pass the Senate’s versions of the bills and requested conference committees to reach a compromise between the chambers.
While the Senate was able to get its version of the budget through, most of the debate was spent over two amendments that sought to insert anti-diversity, equity and inclusion language.
Missouri Senators early Wednesday morning approved a $49.9 billion operating budget, which is $4.2 billion more than what the House passed weeks ago.
The budget returned to the House, where the body on Wednesday refused to pass the Senate’s versions of the bills and requested conference committees to reach a compromise between the chambers.
While the Senate was able to get its version of the budget through, most of the debate was spent over two amendments that sought to insert anti-diversity, equity and inclusion language.
Missouri Senate approves a $50 billion state budget — with library funding added back in
Posted from kcur.org
Budget
Reading
1st Amendment
Freedom of Speech
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 1
0
0
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."On teacher pay, the Senate added $7.6 million to pay for the 30% match requirement schools needed to contribute to raise baseline teacher pay to $38,000. The total cost for the state to pay for the raises is $29.4 million.
“The feedback that we got last year was that while our school districts appreciated very much the 70/30 matching grant, a lot of our more rural districts could not match at that 30% rate,” Hough said.
Beyond education, the Senate also added money for provider rate increases for workers within the Departments of Mental Health and Health and Senior Services, $52 million towards stadium renovations in Kansas City in anticipation of the World Cup, $43 million towards a new veterinary hospital at the University of Missouri and $300 million toward a mental health hospital in Kansas City.
“That's a facility that is in utter disrepair and is in need of considerable investment for that population that it serves,” Hough said.
Also kept in the Senate version of the budget was $4.5 million in state funding for libraries that the House initially removed.
The Senate version of the budget outspends the House in almost every department, though the funding amounts could change during the joint committee discussion.
The legislature has a May 5 deadline to complete the budget for the upcoming fiscal year."
..."On teacher pay, the Senate added $7.6 million to pay for the 30% match requirement schools needed to contribute to raise baseline teacher pay to $38,000. The total cost for the state to pay for the raises is $29.4 million.
“The feedback that we got last year was that while our school districts appreciated very much the 70/30 matching grant, a lot of our more rural districts could not match at that 30% rate,” Hough said.
Beyond education, the Senate also added money for provider rate increases for workers within the Departments of Mental Health and Health and Senior Services, $52 million towards stadium renovations in Kansas City in anticipation of the World Cup, $43 million towards a new veterinary hospital at the University of Missouri and $300 million toward a mental health hospital in Kansas City.
“That's a facility that is in utter disrepair and is in need of considerable investment for that population that it serves,” Hough said.
Also kept in the Senate version of the budget was $4.5 million in state funding for libraries that the House initially removed.
The Senate version of the budget outspends the House in almost every department, though the funding amounts could change during the joint committee discussion.
The legislature has a May 5 deadline to complete the budget for the upcoming fiscal year."
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google