The Missouri Senate approved its version of the 13 appropriation bills that make up the state’s $28 billion operating budget for 2019. Each of the bills determine how much funding each state agency and department will be authorized to receive in order to serve the citizens of our state. This includes funding for our state’s most vulnerable populations, including students enrolled in Missouri’s K-12 school districts, colleges and universities and our senior citizens.
The Senate’s spending plan for elementary and secondary schools includes a $48 million increase in funding for the state’s foundation formula. In addition, the Missouri Senate proposes a $25 million increase in funding for school transportation costs. As for Missouri’s colleges and universities, the Senate’s spending bill restores the governor’s proposed $68 million cut to higher education.
Last year, many elderly and disabled Missourians lost their eligibility to receive assistance for in-home health services and prescription discounts due to a reduction made by the governor. With this in mind, the Senate’s position is to restore the $40.5 million core reduction for Medicaid providers. In addition, the Senate has proposed a $72.1 million increase in funding for nursing home reimbursement rates which equates to an additional $8.30 per Medicaid person per day.
The House Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee will begin to work out the differences in their proposed budgets next week.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office in Jefferson City at (573)751-1464. For information about committees or my sponsored legislation for the 2018 legislative session, please visit my official Missouri Senate webpage at senate.mo.gov/Cierpiot.