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A freshman state lawmaker from southwest Missouri’s Noel is the new vice chairman of the powerful Missouri House Budget Committee.

State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 4, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, has appointed State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, to the post, saying Deaton will be ready to assist in the committee’s work to appropriate funding during the upcoming special session to combat COVID.

The special session begins Thursday in Jefferson City, and Speaker Haahr says it was important to name a vice chairman ahead of the special session.

Deaton, who is unopposed in Tuesday’s election, was elected to the Missouri House in 2018.

“My top priorities are to support (House Budget Committee) Chairman (Cody) Smith as he guides the committee and work with my fellow committee members as we seek to appropriate taxpayer dollars wisely,” Deaton tells Missourinet.

Governor Mike Parson (R) announced the special session in late October, saying there is still CARES Act funding that needs to be distributed to Missourians. The governor has called a special session on a supplemental budget bill. The amount of that supplemental is unknown, at this time.

“The supplemental budget contains funding for several items, including school nutrition programs, job training grants, emergency solutions grant program for homeless prevention,” Parson told Capitol reporters on October 21.

The governor says the supplemental will also include funding for a domestic violence grant and child support payments.

Speaker Haahr has also added State Rep. Craig Fishel, R-Springfield, to the House Budget Committee.