Missouri: House panel trims but doesn’t close budget gap

State News

Discussion

March 18, 2010

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Thu Mar 18, 2010, 10:13 PM CDT

The Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A House committee reduced spending Thursday for some government services but failed to cut enough to cover a projected shortfall in Missouri’s next budget.

After considering dozens of amendments, the House Budget Committee finished its work after cutting only about $55 million more from the proposed budget. That means more cuts likely will be needed when the spending plan heads to the House floor and then the Senate.

House Budget Committee Chairman Allen Icet said he wasn’t concerned that the proposed 2011 budget remained out-of-balance at this point.

“The key part is what is in the bills when they are placed on the governor’s desk,” said Icet, R-Wildwood. “This is a process.”

Gov. Jay Nixon has said about $500 million needs to be trimmed from the nearly $23.9 billion budget plan he outlined in January.

About $200 million of that shortfall is because of declining state tax revenues.

The rest of the gap is based on an assumption that Missouri either will not receive — or will save for use in 2012 — $300 million of enhanced federal Medicaid payments. A bill providing states that funding boost is pending in Congress.

Although Republican House leaders initially said they would not count on that money, their budget assumes Missouri will receive and spend the $300 million next year. The House budget plan would use that money to make payments to physicians, nursing homes and prisoners’ health care.

Many of the amendments adopted Wednesday and Thursday by the House Budget Committee merely cut money from one area, such as state computer services, and transferred it to another, such as community health care centers. While one program won another lost, and the bottom line remained the same.

“All we’re doing is just moving money around,” said committee member Rep. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph. “We don’t seem to have the ability to pass any significant cuts here,” he added later.

While acknowledging the need for cuts, House Budget Committee members were reluctant to dig too deeply.

They defeated Schaaf’s attempt to cut $88 million in basic aid to public schools, $27 million from the Parents as Teachers program that sends trained mentors into the homes of infants and preschoolers, and $12 million from the Career Ladder program that allows teachers to earn extra money for performing additional duties.

The Republican-led committee also drew the line on how much to cut from the Legislature’s own budget.

The House already has cut back on cell phone reimbursements, plans to curtail its free coffee and bottled water next year and on Thursday approved an amendment to eliminate 20 House staff positions (16 of which already are vacant).

But Republicans on the committee defeated Democratic attempts to cut more from the House’s budget and spend the money on ethics investigators, crisis care for children or vocational rehabilitation services.

Icet equated some of the amendments targeting House expenses to a “circus,” adding he doesn’t want to cut so much that lawmakers can no longer effectively represent their constituents.

Rep. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, was one of the few lawmakers to make cuts without redirecting the money elsewhere. He successfully trimmed about $1.6 million from several state agencies — an amount equal to half of what they have spent so far this year on food, membership dues and meetings. Silvey acknowledged some of those expenses are justified but said it is important for government itself to trim back if it is going to cut services to residents.

“The bureaucracy of government, the grinding gears of government, appears to be acting in a bubble as if nothing is wrong,” Silvey said.

Debate generally focused on one-third of the overall budget — the roughly $8 billion in general state tax revenues over which lawmakers have the greatest control. Money that comes from the federal government or other sources, such as motor fuel taxes, often is dedicated to particular purposes and cannot be shifted to cover shortfalls in other areas.

Text Only

State News

2.6 magnitude earthquake recorded in Oklahoma
The U.S. Geological Survey has recorded a 2.6 magnitude earthquake near Wellston in central Oklahoma.
No injuries or damage is reported.

January 19, 2011
Audit: $108,000 taken from Missouri Veterans Commission JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A former employee of the state auditor’s office embezzled nearly $108,000 while working as an accountant for the Missouri Veterans Commission, the state auditor alleged Monday.

Stacy Griffin-Lowery was fired by the Veterans Commission in March 2008 and pleaded guilty three months later to a misdemeanor theft charge. She repaid the state $17,665, the auditor’s office said.

But Missouri Auditor Susan Montee on Monday accused Griffin-Lowery of swiping an additional $90,192 by getting reimbursed for cash advances and purchases made on her personal credit card.
April 12, 2010
Race in Kansas’ 2nd District could heat up for GOP incumbent TOPEKA, Kan. — A conservative Kansas legislator said Monday he will announce in a few weeks whether he will challenge freshman U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins in the Republican primary.

State Sen. Dennis Pyle’s actions in recent months suggest the Hiawatha farmer, who’s served in the Legislature since 2001, is running against Jenkins in the Aug. 2 primary. He set up a campaign organization in November and has a Web site featuring a brief video of him on his farm, asking viewers for support.
April 12, 2010
Oklahoma tea party leaders, lawmakers envision militia OKLAHOMA CITY — Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

Tea party movement leaders say they’ve discussed the idea with several supportive lawmakers and hope to get legislation next year to recognize a new volunteer force
April 12, 2010
Missouri: Senate panel cuts $500 million from proposed budget JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Senate committee declared Thursday that it has sliced more than $500 million from Missouri’s proposed budget for next year — meeting a target set by Gov. Jay Nixon to bring it in balance.
April 8, 2010
Kansas: Wichita-area casino in doubt after governor’s decision TOPEKA, Kan. — A proposed casino south of Wichita was in doubt Thursday after Gov. Mark Parkinson refused to grant its developers a regulatory reprieve. Partners in the $225 million Chisholm Creek project wanted to delay a state board’s decision on their plans.
April 8, 2010
Oklahoma: Groups oppose education spending initiative OKLAHOMA CITY — A coalition of business and labor groups said Thursday it will work to defeat a ballot initiative to dramatically increase spending on public education that coalition members said would devastate the budgets of many other state services and possibly force tax increases.
April 8, 2010
Missouri: Gov. Nixon affirms support for tuition freeze COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has no plans to sit idly while lawmakers consider whether to preserve a tuition freeze deal he assembled before the state’s dire financial status was fully known.
April 7, 2010
Kansas: Agency uses YouTube to illustrate road woes TOPEKA, Kan. — It’s one thing to hear about potholes and state budgets. It’s another to see how the two are connected. That’s part of the thinking behind a new video presentation on YouTube this week from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
April 7, 2010
Oklahoma: Pathologist says girl’s throat might have been cut OKLAHOMA CITY — A 7-year-old girl who was found dead in Oklahoma near the body of her suspected kidnapper likely died after her throat was cut, an independent pathologist said Wednesday, the same day the child’s funeral attracted hundreds of mourners.
April 7, 2010
More State News Headlines

City wants to buy weather radios for those without

State News

Search Results

Discussion

Missouri: House panel trims but doesn’t close budget gap

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr wants the city to distribute weather radios to all Joplin homes that don’t have one. That’s 11,000 radios. Do you think that’s a good use of $300,440?

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr wants the city to distribute weather radios to all Joplin homes that don’t have one. That’s 11,000 radios. Do you think that’s a good use of $300,440?

Site Map

Contact Us