JEFFERSON CITY — The rest of the measures passed by the Missouri Senate that make up Missouri’s operating budget for FY 2013 received the governor’s signature approximately one week before the new fiscal year begins.  However, several line-item vetoes and expenditure restrictions were enacted, making changes to the Senate’s approved plan delivered to the governor back in May.

House Bill 2001 addresses the state’s public debt by appropriating money to the Board of Fund Commissioners.  It’s funding totaled $47.6 million, with $45.2 million from general revenue and $2.4 million from other funding sources.

Legislation appropriating money to the Department of Higher Education (DHE) also received the governor’s signature.  However, funding for many institutions statewide was adjusted through expenditure restrictions.  House Bill 2003, as passed by the Legislature in May, included $850 million in general revenue, $7.1 million in federal funding and $345.1 million in other funds.  The governor is withholding approximately $8.9 million in general revenue funds for the DHE, including a 1 percent cut to higher education institutions across the board, a 10 percent cut to higher education institution equity, and $100,000 for the State Historical Society.

House Bill 2004, which contains funding for the Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Department of Transportation (MoDOT), received a total of $448.4 million and $2.15 billion from the Legislature, respectively.  The governor enacted line-item vetoes for the State Transportation Fund ($50,000) and federal funding for port financial assistance ($80,000) in HB 2004.  In addition, $250,000 in general revenue has been withheld in MoDOT’s budget.

Funding for the Office of Administration (OA) and employee benefits, found in House Bill 2005 (as passed by the General Assembly) included $262 million for OA and $828 million for employee benefits.  Expenditure restrictions for OA total $305,000 from general revenue, including $30,000 from the Administrative Hearing Commission and $125,000 from the State Capitol Commission.

House Bill 2006, which allocates money for the Department of Agriculture (MDA - $40.6 million), Department of Natural Resources (DNR - $592.9 million) and the Department of Conservation (MCD - $146.8 million), also received the governor’s signature.  DNR received $30,000 in general revenue withholdings from the governor.

A measure appropriating funding to the Department of Economic Development (DED), Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration (DIFP), and the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) received the governor’s approval with no withholdings.  House Bill 2007, as passed by the Legislature, includes $363.2 million for DED, $39.7 million for DIFP, and $134 million for DLIR.  The governor line-item vetoed $80,000 from the Missouri Humanities Council Trust Fund for the 2012 Blues in Schools Program.

House Bill 2008 provides funding for the Department of Public Safety, which includes $63 million in general revenue, $117.8 million in federal funds, and $378.7 million in other funding sources.  The governor is implementing a $100,000 expenditure restriction for the department.

The Department of Corrections (DOC), through House Bill 2009, includes $602.5 million in general revenue, $10.3 million in federal funds, and $54.6 million in other funding, totaling approximately $667.3 million.  It also received the governor’s signature with no withholdings.

Funding for the Department of Social Services (DSS), found in House Bill 2011, includes $1.499 billion in general revenue, $4.292 billion in federal funds, and $2.434 billion in other funding sources.  Several programs funded through DSS’s $8.225 billion budget are included in the more than $1.892 million in withholdings implemented by the governor.  These include funding for the Foster Care Outdoor Program ($200,000), Foster Care Psychotropic Tracking ($900,000), and the Hand-Up Pilot Project ($100,000).

House Bill 2012 provides funding for elected officials ($112.1 million), the judiciary ($195 million), the Public Defender Commission ($39.4 million) and the General Assembly ($33.1 million).  The Public Defender Commission received approximately $721,000 in expenditure restrictions from the governor.

Finally, House Bill 2013, which appropriates money for real property leases and related services, received $149.8 million from the Legislature ($112.4 million in general revenue, $21.9 million in federal funds, and $15.5 million in other funding sources).  The measure received no governor withholds.

Previous budget bills already receiving the governor’s stamp of approval include House Bill 2002, which funds the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and House Bill 2010, which provides funding for the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).  

DESE (HB 2002) received a more than $1.7 million cut in funding after the governor announced his withholdings for math and science tutoring, an urban teaching program, Scholars and Fine Arts academies, communication arts tutoring, early grade literacy, and character education.  In addition, the governor is withholding more than $304,000 in general revenue from DMH, which includes more than $39,000 from the Missouri Eating Disorder Council.

More than $814,000 in expenditure restrictions applies to DHSS (HB 2010), which includes more than $564,000 in funding for core public health functions, $50,000 for the Safe-Care Program expansion, and $200,000 for Missouri Area Health Education Centers.  The governor also line-item vetoed $30,000 in general revenue for Boone County Legal Fees.

All budget bills that are debated in the upper chamber are handled by the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman.  Members of the Senate approved the FY 2013 state operating budget one day before its constitutional deadline.  The new fiscal year starts July 1, 2012.

To see a complete list of the budget bills delivered to and signed by the governor, visit www.senate.mo.gov and click on the “Truly Agreed Bills” link under the “Legislation” tab.  To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or email: newsroom@senate.mo.gov.