For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2013
Full Missouri Senate Slated to Begin Budget Debate

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Senate this afternoon (4-22) is scheduled to take up the 13 bills that make up the state’s operating budget for FY 2014.  These budget bills always originate in the House of Representatives and are carried in the upper chamber by the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia.  During the First Regular Session of each General Assembly, these budget bills are numbered HBs 1-13; in the Second Regular Session, these bills are designated as HBs 2001-2013.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has used the months leading up to debate this afternoon to listen to testimony from various members of departments and programs regarding funding for their particular entity.  Often times, the Senate and House committees responsible for crafting their chambers’ versions of the state budget use recommendations laid out by the governor in his State of the State address in January. 

The House Budget Committee delivered its version of the FY 2014 operating budget to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee in late March.  Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee made changes to all of the budget bills to reflect the upper chamber’s spending plan.  If the Senate’s revisions are not approved by the House, then changes made between the House and Senate’s version must ultimately be approved by a conference committee made up of five members of the Senate and three members of the House — always consisting of the Senate Appropriations Committee chair and the House Budget Committee chair. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its total $24.7 billion operating budget in mid-April with approximately $5.5 billion slated to go to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (HB 2) and $1.2 billion for the Department of Higher Education (HB 3).  In addition, the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Health (HB 10) received $1.6 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively.  And the Department of Social Services (HB 11) received more than $8.5 billion for FY 2014.

Once the House and Senate agree on a final plan, all 13 budget bills are sent to the governor.  The governor can only line-item veto budget bills — nullifying or canceling specific provisions of a bill without vetoing the entire legislative package. 

The General Assembly’s constitutional deadline for completing the state’s operating budget is one week before the end of the legislative session.  This year, this deadline falls on Friday, May 10.  The last day of the 2013 regular session is Friday, May 17. 

To follow these budget bills and other measures moving through the legislative process during the 2013 session, visit www.senate.mo.gov.