As Republicans and Democrats on the House Budget Committee hammered out a spending plan for House debate on Monday, the biggest argument was the time allotted for the effort rather than any specific items in the $50.7 billion plan.
During a daylong hearing, Democrats said the committee chairman, state Rep. Cody Smith, was not given enough time to propose amendments or hear comments. Why he cut $2 billion From Mike Parson, Govt. January budget proposal.
To express their displeasure at the vote, many Democrats voted to “show up,” with Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Manchester, invoking a rarely used rule that forces each roll call to be read and members to speak at each turn. The method of voting during the roll call. 17 spending bills have been completed.
Smith had no patience for this approach, and the committee voted to suspend the “verification roll” rule to speed up his work.
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Smith presented his budget proposal to the committee on March 14 but declined to answer questions about his changes that day. When the committee reached consensus just after 10 a.m. Monday, Smith said he would set aside four hours to discuss the amendments.
Democrats have distributed copies of invitations to a March 14 fundraiser in Cape Girardeau for Smith’s campaign treasurer to explain his rush on the day. On Monday, they accused him of cutting short the budget debate in favor of another fundraiser.
“We’ve all planned this day until 11 or 12 o’clock tonight so that we all have a chance to propose the amendments that we’ve developed,” Lavender said in an interview after the hearing. “At 10am this morning we were told there would be no such opportunity. As a result, this year’s debate is essentially a chair’s show, with very little input from committee members in a public forum.”
Speaking to The Independent after the budget was completed, Smith denied that his political agenda interfered with his legislative work. He admitted that he was tighter on time constraints than in the past, but said it had little impact on the final product.
“As you can see, I’m doing it a little bit differently this year and trying to expedite the process, but I think if we spent twice as much time in committee, it would be essentially the same story,” Smith said.
Smith said the budget will be debated in the full House of Representatives next week.
Missouri is entering the third year of the largest surplus in state history – as of the end of February, the Treasury Department held about $6.4 billion in general revenue and other funds that can be spent as general revenue.
But House rules prohibit the use of much of the idle funds. Therefore, in most cases, an amendment that increases one expenditure in the budget requires a corresponding reduction in another expenditure.
Smith used his authority as chairman to withhold $200 million in net general income from Parson’s original proposal.I’ve deleted items like the $52.8 million plan Rebuilding the Old Missouri State Penitentiary tourist attractions and provide a special transfer of $100 million to a fund earmarked for state facility repair and maintenance needs.
He also added $100 million to the Department of Transportation budget for minor road repairs and improvements, and $727.5 million in general revenue and borrowed funds to pay for improvements to Interstate 44.
Smith’s authority over the committee extends to amendments proposed at markup meetings, such as the one held Monday.
He started the day with a 12-page spreadsheet containing changes to the proposal he presented on March 14. The changes, all made via voice vote, include:
- Changed a $10 million grant proposal to study psilocybin as a mental health treatment to $10 million to study ibogaine.
- Purchase of a new 1,800-acre park in McDonald County, the hometown of Budget Committee Vice Chairman Dirk Deaton, for $2.5 million.
- Allocates up to $150 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to public school foundations. The grant is intended to absorb any funds that cannot be spent by federal deadlines.
Republicans hold more than two-thirds of legislative seats and 25 of the 37 seats on the Budget Committee. With rank-and-file members supporting him on nearly every issue, Smith can defeat any amendment he doesn’t like.
Democratic state Rep. Kathy Steinhoff’s teacher pay proposal is one example.Steinhoff, who teaches math in Columbia public schools, said she would like to use funds from Columbia University Career Ladder SchemeLast year, the program was relaunched after more than a decade without funding, with the goal of boosting wages as it would reach more teachers.
last year, 139 regions participated The program, which pays teachers stipends of up to $5,000 to take on additional responsibilities, used $21.6 million of the $36.3 million allocated. This year, funding increased to $69.3 million, and Parson proposed spending $75.1 million next year.
Exactly how many participating districts will use the program this year is uncertain because they must prove qualified teachers are performing their required duties, Education Department Deputy Commissioner Kari Monsees said Monday.
Smith slashed the budget plan to $55.1 million. Steinhoff’s proposal would use the money to provide a stipend for every certified public school teacher rated satisfactory or better in annual evaluations.
She said schools need help recruiting teachers. Steinhoff said many people applied for his job during most of his time as a teacher. She said there are now eight openings for math teachers in Columbia schools.
Better pay is one of the most important recommendations Le Cordon Bleu Committee on Faculty Recruitment and Retention Established in 2022.
Less than half of the state’s teachers participate in career ladders, Steinhoff said. The only teachers she doesn’t receive stipends are those working in districts that boosted their salaries to at least $38,000 with special state support.
Parson’s budget proposal on teacher pay, which Smith did not mention, would raise the minimum wage to $40,000.legislation Provision of minimum wages for teachers is also being debated.
“If we include that and the baseline salary supplement, we have an opportunity to reach 100 percent of teachers and impact their pay through a state effort,” Steinhoff said.
Republicans opposed to the change said they did not want to undermine Career Ladder funding. Smith ensured the amendment would be defeated with faint praise.
“Maybe there’s something to that,” he said, “but now may not be the right time.”
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