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April 27, 2018 Senator Caleb Rowden’s Column for the Week of April 23, 2018
The biggest challenge the Legislature faces every year is allocating our state dollars responsibly and efficiently. We must fund the critical functions of government including education, public safety and transportation while still balancing the needs of the most vulnerable in Missouri. I believe our budget is a good reflection of the Missouri Senate’s commitment to our state. Not only did the Senate approve a record amount of funding for K-12 education, we also restored $68 million in cuts by the governor to higher education for community colleges and four-year institutions. If we want our institutions to help produce workers for the 21st century, we have to make sure they have the funds to do so. The Senate also approved funding to support in-home health care and nursing home care. These budget increases show our commitment to the elderly and most vulnerable in Missouri. The Senate voted to increase the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Foundation Formula by an additional $48 million from last year’s budget. The Senate position also increases school transportation funding by $25 million. Additionally, our budget includes an $8.5 million increase to the First Steps Program, an early intervention program providing services to families who have children with disabilities or developmental delays. These choices reflect our prioritization of education at all levels, from pre-kindergarten intervention programs to quality higher education institutions. The Missouri Senate and House of Representatives will now meet to discuss and negotiate on several items of the budget. The final budget must be passed by both the House and the Senate before being sent to the governor’s desk on May 11, 2018. This week, we also celebrated Administrative Professionals Day. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of Linda Bushman, the Legislative Assistant for our office. She helps to keep our office working efficiently and smoothly. Linda has worked in the Capitol for many years, ten of those years for the 19th Senatorial District. She, and her husband Sam, are owners of Samuel’s Tuxedos, a small business in downtown Jefferson City. I am incredibly grateful for Linda and the work she does for the district. I am here to serve you, and my office door is always open to your questions, concerns and suggestions. You can reach my staff at 573-751-3931, and you can visit www.senate.mo.gov/rowden for an array of legislative and constituent resources. |