Missouri lawmakers pass $30 billion state budget proposal

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to a $30 billion state spending plan with a slight increase for higher education and more money for K-12 public schools following a fight over college tuition for students living in the U.S. illegally.

The budget package includes an additional $61 million in core K-12 public school funding, and colleges and universities are set to get at least $1 million more compared to this year.

Lawmakers ditched Gov. Mike Parson's original plan to borrow $350 million to fix 250 bridges across the state. Instead, they agreed to spend $50 million in un-earmarked general revenue on bridge repairs next fiscal year, plus another $50 million for a local cost-share program.

If the state gets a federal infrastructure grant to help pay to fix an Interstate 70 bridge in the mid-Missouri city of Rocheport, that would kick in another roughly $300 million in bonding under another pending proposal.

Read more: http://www.newstribune.com/news/missouri/story/2019/may/10/missouri-lawmakers-pass-30-billion-proposal/778160/
(Jefferson City News Tribune)