Missouri Budget Approved April 22, 2016

(AP) – The Missouri Legislature has passed a budget that boosts education funding and cuts off state money for Planned Parenthood.
The $27 billion spending plan approved Thursday now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon. It would take effect July 1.
The budget includes a 4 percent increase for higher education institutions, though the University of Missouri system’s administration would see a $3.8 million cut.
It adds $71 million to the nearly $3.3 billion of existing basic aid for K-12 schools. But that is still more than $400 million below the legal guidelines for school funding.
Lawmakers blocked Medicaid funding from going to any entity that offers elective abortions. That money already is prohibited from paying for abortions, but Planned Parenthood currently accepts Medicaid payments for services such as vaccinations and exams.

Nixon Says Tobacco Money Shaky, So Now Holding Budget Money October 19, 2015

(AP) – Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says he’s blocking the state from spending more than $46 million in order to balance the budget.
Nixon on Monday said the spending restrictions are needed because the state no longer can count on an anticipated $50 million from a tobacco settlement agreement.
The money is part of an annual payment that tobacco companies make to states under a 1998 settlement covering the costs of providing health care to those with tobacco-related illnesses.
Nixon and lawmakers banked on using the $50 million this fiscal year. But a recent appeals court ruling means that the companies don’t owe Missouri that money.
Nixon cut funding for several new programs in response. He also restricted money for a number of planned health care provider rate increases.

Legislature Send Budget to Nixon April 23, 2015

(AP) – The Missouri Legislature has passed a $26 billion spending plan for next fiscal year.
The budget approved Thursday will cut spending for social services by about $46 million while increasing basic aid for K-12 schools by about $84 million compared to this year.
That increase still falls about $400 million short of what’s need to provide public schools with full funding.
More money will go to public colleges and universities. Lawmakers have proposed a 1.3 percent increase of $12 million in performance-based spending for those institutions.
State employees will not receive a pay raise. Efforts to block the governor from extending bond payments to pay for a new St. Louis football stadium also failed to make it into the budget.
The bill now needs approval from Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.

A look at the department spending totals authorized in the 2016 fiscal year budget passed Thursday by the Missouri Legislature, compared with the amounts included in the 2015 budget.
FY 2015 FY 2016
HB 1 – Public Debt
General Revenue $64,790,980 $59,199,900
Total $67,831,978 $61,948,734
HB 2 – DESE
General Revenue $3,146,905,980 $3,220,532,590
Total $5,863,862,371 $5,789,415,427
HB 3 – Higher Ed
General Revenue $928,930,254 $933,638,908
Total $1,272,140,013 $1,266,819,566
HB 4 – Revenue
General Revenue $84,817,692 $88,434,330
Total $506,493,497 $510,131,760
HB 4 – Transportation
General Revenue $16,094,129 $19,544,129
Total $2,172,720,379 $2,162,212,814
HB 5 – Office of Administration
General Revenue $175,979,939 $174,641,743
Total $502,233,461 $303,318,854
HB 5 – Employee Benefits
General Revenue $553,273,629 $552,246,544
Total $930,454,702 $933,738,426
HB 6 – Agriculture
General Revenue $10,449,767 $11,429,947
Total $37,377,686 $42,331,831
HB 6 – Natural Resources
General Revenue $9,858,085 $10,829,503
Total $558,319,893 $560,481,082
HB 6 – Conservation
General Revenue $0 $0
Total $148,119,522 $149,505,752
HB 7 – Economic Development
General Revenue $88,324,611 $80,948,436
Total $370,604,690 $362,460,962
HB 7 – Insurance
General Revenue $0 $0
Total $40,806,316 $40,668,920
HB 7 – Labor
General Revenue $2,363,480 $2,248,549
Total $185,640,013 $190,989,359
HB 8 – Public Safety
General Revenue $82,676,629 $69,471,854
Total $699,526,424 $734,682,088
HB 9 – Corrections
General Revenue $670,432,531 $661,290,269
Total $725,156,473 $710,168,328
HB 10 – Mental Health
General Revenue $705,514,408 $661,290,269
Total $1,753,047,699 $1,836,521,148
HB 10 – Health
General Revenue $286,713,941 $330,849,608
Total $1,181,112,711 $1,253,241,755
HB 11 – Social Services
General Revenue $1,532,947,954 $1,532,392,881
Total $8,655,534,883 $8,609,187,275
HB 12 – Elected Officials
General Revenue $50,632,537 $51,071,181
Total $123,769,927 $123,556,150
HB 12 – Judiciary
General Revenue $183,428,670 $183,058,930
Total $206,422,446 $208,131,056
HB 12 – Public Defender
General Revenue $39,739,909 $36,422,010
Total $42,847,492 $39,530,303
HB 12 – General Assembly
General Revenue $33,475,985 $34,438,373
Total $33,769,525 $35,732,378
HB 13 – Statewide Leasing
General Revenue $70,562,638 $71,014,354
Total $102,671,259 $102,991,759
Overall Budget
General Revenue $8,734,913,177 $8,854,825,360
Total $26,180,463,360 $26,027,765,727

Missouri Social Service Defenders Push Back on Budget Cuts April 13, 2015

Social Service providers across Missouri, including Kansas City, appealed for state lawmakers to drop planned budget cuts to Missouri social service agencies in the upcoming budget.
The Rev. Susan McCann of the Grace Episcopal Church of Liberty says the cuts are “morally irresponsible”.
A group of social services agencies in Kansas City, including Harvesters Food Network, Truman Medical center and the Missouri Health Advocacy Alliance, among others, held a news conference Monday morning.
Similar news conferences were held in other parts of the Missouri.
Last week, one of the state’s leading budget writers, Columbia republican Kurt Schaefer pushed a plan that would reduce social services spending by $130 million more than a similar proposal in the House.
“These aren’t cuts being made on the margins. These are cuts in actual services being delivered,” said Traci Gleason of the Missouri Budget Project.
Republican majorities in the house and Senate passed similar measures last year. Governor Jay Nixon, however, vetoed the measures.
This year Republicans may have veto-proof majorities.

Missouri Senate Passes Lump Sum Budget for 3 Agencies April 2, 2015

(AP) – A Missouri Senate committee has endorsed a budget plan that its chairman says will constrain the state’s fastest-growing costs.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a measure creating lump-sum grants for most programs in the Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health and Department of Health and Senior Services.

The proposal would reduce the totals for the Social Services department by 6 percent – or about $100 million – compared with the House’s version, and a combined 4 percent, about $30 million, for the others.

It would still be a net increase over the current budget. Committee chairman Sen. Kurt Schaefer says the departments should be able to find efficiencies.