Missouri state budget

Only one budget veto issued by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson faced an attempted override. Lawmakers ultimately left Wednesday without overriding anything.

Missouri’s long-term care ombudsman program organizes workers and volunteers to advocate for and educate residents at the state’s hundreds of nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. But it has fewer than half the recommended staff members.

With more than 400 line items directed at particular districts or organizations, totaling $2.1 billion, lawmakers have continued to pile extras into spending bills as the state enjoys a near-record surplus

The budget approved by Missouri lawmakers for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is $1 billion less than the current year’s appropriation. It might not cover all the costs of a wide-ranging new education law signed by Gov. Mike Parson.

The deadline for the legislature to pass the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is 6 p.m. Friday.

The Missouri Freedom Caucus, a faction of the state GOP, has vowed to debate the budget in detail and attempt to cut hundreds of millions in spending. That could push final votes on spending past the constitutional deadline of May 10.

Included in the budget is a 3.2% pay increase for state workers, money to fully fund school transportation and more funding for colleges. However, the House version of the budget is about $2 billion less than Gov. Mike Parson requested.

The annual state budget and a tax that funds the bulk of Missouri’s Medicaid program are two things that must pass this session. And before the break, senators passed a major education bill that included priorities for both Republicans and Democrats.

The current Secretary of State and Republican gubernatorial hopeful enlisted the help of economists who crafted the 2012 Kansas tax plan, which crashed revenues and was repealed several years later, to prepare a proposal for Missouri tax revisions.

When Missouri legislators return from their spring break, they'll need to tackle the fiscal 2025 budget and the Federal Reimbursement Allowance, which helps fund most of Medicaid.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson laid out his budget proposal during his final State of the State address this week. KCUR's Up To Date asked the governor about his priorities this year and his thoughts on the Royals stadium funding debate.

The address coincided with the release of Parson's proposed $52.7 billion budget, which includes a 3.2% raise for state employees as well as a higher boost for state workers in places like juvenile detention centers and mental health facilities.