JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri General Assembly recently completed the 2014 Regular Session and with it wrapped up work up on Missouri’s operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year that runs from July 2014 – June 2015. Passing a budget is the only constitutionally required obligation we have. It also happens to be one of our most difficult tasks every year. Deciding how to spend a limited amount of revenue on competing interests and priorities requires a great deal of time and effort and this year was no different.

Our work was further complicated because the governor and lawmakers could not come to a consensus on Missouri’s revenue projections. We typically work together to budget based on the Consensus Revenue Estimate (CRE). The CRE is prepared by non-partisan staff in the Senate and House working with the governor’s own Budget & Planning office and economists at the University of Missouri to reach a figure that best reflects our revenue expectations. These non-partisan analysts arrived at an estimate of 4.2 percent growth. Ignoring the CRE, our governor set his own revenue estimate at 5.2 percent, which means he wanted to spend nearly $215 million more in his budget than the CRE estimated we had to spend! That doesn’t even take into account another $158 million the governor included in his budget that would only be available if certain legislation had passed.

Again, the Senate and House had to do the real work of budgeting and figuring out how to fund state government within our means and at the least possible cost to Missouri taxpayers. Unlike our federal Congress, we must balance our state budget every year. Deficit spending is not an option and it shouldn’t be.

This year’s budget reflects our continued commitment to funding education. The budget includes a $115 million increase to the already $3.1 billion in state funding to public schools. However, since the Legislature and the governor couldn’t agree on a revenue estimate, K-12 education could receive a total increase of $278 million if revenue exceeds expectations. This historic funding increase for education shows our commitment to providing every Missouri child with a quality education.

We also budgeted an additional $43 million for performance-based Higher Education funding, a model more and more states are moving toward. The plan includes $6 million in equity funding for Missouri’s community colleges which are one of our best resources for general education and career and technical education. Our community colleges in southwest Missouri are growing rapidly and providing a quality education and useful training for many students.

The Missouri Division of Tourism will receive an additional $8.5 million to market our state and promote tourism. Tourism experienced devastating cuts through the recession, losing nearly half of its appropriation and falling far below the funding level called for under Missouri’s tourism funding formula. After years of cuts, this year’s appropriation is the largest year-to-year increase in the tourism budget since the creation of the formula in 1993. Tourism is the second-largest industry in Missouri and one of the few budget items that returns a lot more in revenue than we spend on it. Every dollar spent on tourism advertising creates a $58 return for Missouri’s economy and over 50 percent of all tourism revenues in Missouri came from outside our state. For a small investment in tourism, we get so much more back.

The Legislature again passed a fiscally responsible budget without borrowing money and without tax increases. I remain committed to protecting the hard-earned tax dollars of the people of the 29th District, while ensuring that necessary services like education, transportation and public safety are adequately funded. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The best government is that which governs least.” As your state senator, I serve based on this principle and always remember what a privilege it is to work for the people of the 29th District.   

As always, I welcome your ideas, questions and concerns about Missouri government. You may contact me at the State Capitol as follows: (573) 751-1480, david.sater@senate.mo.gov or by writing to Senator David Sater, Missouri State Capitol, Room 433, Jefferson City, MO 65101.