Missouri Legislators pass the State Budget

The Missouri Legislature has passed a 35.2 billion dollar state operating budget. During discussion Friday, House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith of Carthage says the state is trying to work on reducing its debt owed to counties and hopes the system used can be changed. Missouri could be the only state in the nation that repays counties a portion of the local costs of housing and transporting offenders who end up going to state prison.

The plan also includes 3.5 billion dollars in base funding for Missouri’s K through 12 public schools – the same level of state aid as for the current budget year. Lawmakers put 50 million dollars into a transportation program that matches up to 50-percent of the construction contract costs for selected public and private projects. The fiscal plan heads to the governor.