MSTA Action Newsletter

May 11, Action

House passes final budget bill

Passing a state budget is never easy, and this year that proved to be true as several senators held up the process over issues that were important to them.

Once the Senate found a way to address those concerns, the Conference Committee for the Appropriation bills met and discussed the differences in the budget bills. The budget bills were finalized late Wednesday and sent to the House and Senate for final passage on Thursday. The Conference Committee Report for SS SCS HCS HB2002 (Silvey), the budget for elementary and secondary education, includes approximately $5.4 billion for the 2013 fiscal year.

The conferees, made up of members of the House and Senate, agreed with most of the Senate’s position on the differences except for the pay increase for state employees which was the House position. Under the House proposal, state employees making less than $70,000 would get a 2 percent pay increase. There were three items in HB2002 where the conferees compromised before agreeing on funding for the following:

$100,000 for Early Grade Literacy Program

$200,000 for the Scholars and Fine Arts Academies

$10,000 for Character Education

The Conference Committee Report for SS SCS HCS HB2002 also includes changes to the funding sources for the formula, Parents as Teachers, and early childhood special education which were recommended by the Senate. The Senate reccommendation relies less on lottery money, and more on general revenue. The Missouri Preschool Project grants were partially restored; however, the administration of the grants was given to the Office of Administration.

Although Parents as Teachers received an additional $1 million over the governor’s recommendations, the program will receive a cut over the current year appropriation. The formula also received a $5 million increase over the current year appropriation; however, depending on how the department distributes the money, districts could receive less than the current year.

The truly agreed to and finally passed appropriation bill has additional funding for programs that were not included in the governor’s recommendations. Changes include funding for a tutoring program in St. Louis and Kansas City; a teaching program aimed at staffing underprivileged urban schools ($1 million); character education ($10,000); and the Rebuild Missouri Schools Program ($900,000). The funding the House added for the Regional Professional Development Centers did not survive the budget process.

The legislature met the deadline by just one day. This year, the Missouri Constitution requires that all appropriation bills delivered to the governor no later than 6 p.m., on May 11.