Missouri lawmakers didn’t override many of the governor’s vetoes of the state budget, accepting a budget that is $555 million smaller than they passed.
During the annual abbreviated session on Sept. 13 that focused on vetoes, the Republican-led Legislature didn’t try to override a majority of Gov. Mike Parson’s budget cuts.
However, there were failed attempts by House lawmakers to protect funding increases for police, elders, and mental health programs. The Senate gaveled in briefly on the same day but didn’t attempt to override Mr. Parson and restore the House’s agenda.
Although Missouri enjoyed a historic budget surplus this year, Mr. Parson noted in June that lawmakers went $1.7 billion over his budget proposal.
House members voted to override Mr. Parson’s veto of a 20 percent salary boost for Highway Patrol officers. The governor left in place the 8.7 percent increase for all state workers.
At least one lawmaker in the House said that despite his support for veto overrides, he voted merely “present” on several of them because he didn’t think the Senate would move.
In January 2025, the entire House will need to choose a new speaker, and Republican members of the House of Representatives agreed to propose state Rep. Jon Patterson for the position on Sept. 12, the day before the special session. Because of term constraints, state Rep. Dean Plocher, the current speaker, can’t seek reelection.
Other Funding Boosts
Legislators also included less contentious additions in their budget, including funding for infrastructure projects and pre-K education and child care, which will likely enable parents and guardians to work and presumably alleviate Missouri’s workforce shortage.“This represents the single greatest investment into our transportation network in the state’s history,” Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith said.
Legislators allocated $78 million for child care subsidies and an additional $56 million to expand access to pre-K, as requested by Mr. Parson. Public K–12 schools will receive primary funding of $3.6 billion in addition to the minimum amount required to provide busing for all students.
The funding for public colleges and universities will increase by 7 percent. But Mr. Parson reduced the $16 million allocated by legislators to reward colleges for superior performance.
“This budget addresses the big issues that concern Missourians,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Lincoln Hough said in a statement. “They are talking about the roads they drive on, the jobs they have and the jobs they want, caring for the aging generations, and providing education and a future for the children of Missouri.”
The governor approved a grant program to guarantee that teachers in grades K–12 earn at least $38,000 annually. Previously, the state required local schools to contribute 30 percent of the cost to elevate minimum teacher pay. Beginning in July, the state will foot the cost to hike pay to that level.
Other significant programs in the upcoming budget include $172 million to increase pay for workers who care for people with developmental disabilities and nearly $33 million to hire an additional 134 staff members for the state Children’s Division, which is currently understaffed.
