Taking an unusual step, Gov. Parson approved $30B state budget without any objections

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Gov. Mike Parson signed the new, $30 billion state budget without issuing any line-item vetoes.

That is unusual in state government. There normally are at least a few spending proposals passed by the General Assembly that the governor rejects.

Parson credits legislative leaders with working with his office on the state spending plan.

“It was a good session this year from the budget proposals we made back early on before session started,” Parson tells reporters. “Then, working with the House and the Senate all this year to come up with the budget, working together all through that process. I think it was a good budget. It was probably the first time in a long time, if not ever, that there was no withholds and there were no vetoes in the budget.”

State lawmakers added more than $61 million to the Foundation Formula, the public school funding plan, bringing its total to $3.54 billion.

Legislators approved giving every four-year state university or college an extra $1 million for its core budget.

Infrastructure will get a big boost in this budget. While legislators tweaked the governor’s plan to repair the 250 worst bridges in the state as determined by the Missouri Department of Transportation, they did agree to an aggressive repair plan. The state will issue $301 million in bonds, while spending $50 million in General Revenue funds on bridge repair. Another $50 million has been set aside for state matching funds local governments can access for road and bridge repair. Appropriation of the money is contingent on the state qualifying for federal infrastructure grants.

State employees will get a 3% pay raise in the budget with Department of Corrections employees in line for greater incentives to help the state attract and retain Corrections staff.

Parson says it’s a sound spending plan for the fiscal year which begins July first.

“And the good news is we left probably about $180 million on the bottom line for next year and I think that’s just a good way to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money, to be prepared for things.”