Essential Business
The Senate returned to the Capitol this week for legislative session. It was the first time we met since March 12, when senators returned home due to the coronavirus.
The budget we approved includes more than $2 billion of federal money and roughly $180 million from the state budget to aid Missouri’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Further spending authority was also granted to the governor in the event the state receives additional federal money.
Most of the COVID-19-related programs included in the supplemental budget were part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed by Congress and signed by the president in late March. This is the same legislation authorizing Small Business Administration forgivable loans and grants for employers, federal help for unemployed Americans and direct cash payments to most Americans earning less than $75,000 per year.
The supplemental budget passed the Missouri Senate by a bipartisan 28-1 vote. That budget includes more than $1 billion for local communities and another $1.3 billion for state agencies to help fight the battle against the coronavirus. Much of this money will be spent on the personal protective equipment (PPE) that our first responders and health care workers so desperately need. Other funds will provide hazard pay for first responders, corrections officers and other critical employees at risk for the virus. We also approved additional money to assist K-12 schools (to offset potential cuts to their next year’s budget) and to cover temporary housing for health care workers unable to return home for fear of transmitting the virus to their families. Mental health services and nursing homes also received additional funding in this bill.
Missouri law requires legislators to be present at the State Capitol to vote, which is why we returned to Jefferson City this week, even as Missourians are asked to stay home. Returning to the Capitol during the height of the coronavirus crisis presented unique challenges. The normally bustling building was empty except for senators, a few essential staff and a handful of press. We were provided face masks and made every effort to follow social distancing. Every person entering the building was subject to a health screening, which included a temperature scan and answering a series of screening questions.
After the Senate approved the supplemental budget, the House passed it with no changes, and the bill was sent to the governor’s desk. Even in these challenging and uncertain times, it is my great privilege to represent the citizens of Buchanan and Platte County in the Missouri Senate. If my office can assist you or your family during this time, please contact my office.