The deadline loomed large for lawmakers in the General Assembly this week, as Friday, May 6, is the constitutional deadline for the Legislature to present next fiscal year’s budget to the governor’s office. And even though we have made it to the finish a little early, the road getting there has not been an easy one.
In the nine years I have been in the Capitol, I have come to recognize when a challenge presents itself. This budget has been no different. By the state constitution, we are not allowed to deficit spend, which forces us to make tough decisions. Being a member of the budget conference committee this year brings home the fact that it can be difficult for everyone involved to find common ground. But the most important part of this process is ensuring that the state of Missouri is fiscally covering its departments and programs in a fair and equitable way.
This week, the House and Senate have met in a conference committee many times in an attempt to hammer out the details of a compromise. The total distribution of the $23.2 billion state budget and the use of available federal funds have been some of the sticking points that caused long periods of conversation and debate. The conference committee is a small group of lawmakers, five from the House and five from the Senate, that come together to discuss the budget in depth and negotiate the details desired by each chamber. It was especially important to me that Senate Leader Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter, appointed me to serve on this year’s budget conference committee.
This budget creation process is a long one, and starts months before the fiscal year begins. After many public committee hearings, the House sends the Senate its recommendations for the fiscal year in the form of 13 original budget bills that address the distribution of state funds. The Senate then discusses those bills in committee and makes its own recommendations. After committee recommendations are made, the bills are heard on the Senate floor, where debate takes place and more recommendations are made. After the Senate votes on its agreements, the bills return to the House for discussion of those recommendations. If the two chambers can’t reach a compromise in that time, conference committees take up the budget bills to provide the most fair and equitable distribution, which is what we did this week.
My colleagues and I on the conference committee debated and negotiated the budget bills and had a difficult time coming to the decision to send the measures to the full Senate and House. We met numerous times this week, and have worked diligently to come to an agreement that will be beneficial to Missourians and provide our state with maximum efficiency for the upcoming year.
In some of the deliberations, it was agreed to restore funding for independent living programs across the state. We also worked to keep Amtrak service for the state in the upcoming year. We added a $12 million increase over the governor’s recommendations to higher education, as well as adding a $10 million increase in transportation funding for K-12.
By fulfilling our constitutional duties early, it sends a positive message that we are committed to providing a sound financial future for Missouri.
As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.
Senator David Pearce serves Bates, Cass, Johnson and Vernon counties in the 31st State Senatorial District.
