Missouri House Budget Committee Archives

Missouri Public Defender System handles about 6,000 child support criminal cases annually

March 15, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri law can criminalize parents who fail to pay child support. The Missouri Public Defender System handles roughly 6,000 of these cases annually. During a state House Budget Committee hearing, System Director Mary Fox said handling those cases in civil court, instead of criminal court, could have a significant financial impact on her office.

Missouri Capitol (Photo courtesy of Alisa Nelson, Missourinet)

“If the person is going to admit responsibility, there is a long time period in trying to determine what payments need to be made, how those payments will be made. The person is often placed on probation,” she said. “Every time they fail to keep up with those child support payments, there is a probation violation, which then becomes another case for us.”

Fox said in St. Louis County, the prosecutor has chosen to handle those cases in civil court instead of criminal court.

“Child support cases was one of the biggest case numbers in St. Louis County, which was considered by the courts when they determined that there was an overload and a need for a wait list. The elimination of those child support cases has decreased the cases coming into the St. Louis County Public Defender’s Office,” said Fox.

She says the child support collections in St. Louis County have not declined as a result of pursuing those cases in civil court.

A Missouri court has ruled that putting individuals on a waiting list to get public defender services violates state and federal law. The system is overloaded with roughly 90,000 cases per year for its nearly 400 lawyers. The waiting list has been around since 2017 to help deal with the mounting case load count.

Gov. Mike Parson’s state budget proposal aims to reduce the line of people waiting for these services. Fox said the governor’s proposal asks for $1.1 million to hire 16 additional attorneys.

Parson’s budget proposal would close half of housing units within Missouri women’s prison

February 18, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The women’s prison in northeast Missouri’s Vandalia could have about half of its housing units permanently closed. Trevor Foley, with the state Department of Corrections (DOC), says Gov. Mike Parson’s new state budget proposal would make the change. Gov. Parson’s proposed $34.1 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning in July includes about $802 million for the Department of Corrections.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on December 2, 2020 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

During a state House Budget Committee hearing this week, he says some of the inmates at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia have already been transferred to the women’s prison in northwest Missouri’s Chillicothe.

“No one has lost their jobs, there’s been no layoffs,” he says. “And we have significant capacity in our female beds. Our other female institution is probably arguably our best staffed institution in the state. So, we were able to consolidate spots into that facility and close roughly half of this one.”

Karen Pojmann, spokeswoman for the department, tells Missourinet the Vandalia prison has been battling major staffing shortages. The change makes the environment safer for staff and inmates.

Missouri’s current women’s prison population is about 1,800 but the state has the capacity to hold about 3,000. The Vandalia institution’s current population is roughly 772. Chillicothe Correctional Center’s is about 1,050.

Within the past year, the clothing factory at the Vandalia prison was also closed and is in the process of moving to a men’s prison in eastern Missouri’s Pacific.

Vocational (career and tech) education programs, higher education programs and special programs will continue at Vandalia. Adult basic education, special education and high school equivalency test preparation will be offered only at Chillicothe.

“Essentially, this means Vandalia won’t house women who haven’t yet earned high school diplomas. The primary reason for this change isn’t related to cost saving; it’s driven by the difficulty in filling academic teacher positions in the Vandalia area. Because we have space at Chillicothe, it’s much more efficient to move women who need adult basic education to a location where the services are sustainable and staff are available,” says Pojmann.

The full year savings from the permanent closure of 981 general population beds at Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correction Center in Vandalia is $5.4 million and 95 full-time equivalent jobs. The department wants the savings, along with other savings the department has found, to be reinvested in:

• Pay plans – market minimums for DOC staff and a DOC recruitment increase the governor announced in his State of the State address

• An expansion of the Division of Probation & Parole’s Officer Safety and Arrest Pilot program, including training and equipment for probation and parole officers

• Conversion of the former Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron into a training academy, where custody staff can train in a setting similar to the setting in which they’ll be working

• A learning management system for staff training, using online modules

• An expansion of the department’s heavy equipment crew. The crew members complete construction projects within the prison system.

Pojmann says temporary housing unit closures for maintenance projects and staffing shortages may continue as needed, but she says there are no other permanent closures planned.

The Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia opened in 1998.

Missouri senator says state continues to devalue higher education

February 17, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri House Budget Committee is scheduled to hear today Gov. Mike Parson’s FY22 state budget proposal for the state Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The governor wants funding to return to pre-pandemic levels for the state’s colleges and universities.

State Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, speaks on the Missouri House floor on March 28, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, says state funding provided to Missouri’s colleges and universities is almost identical to what the state gave to them in 1999. He says Missouri continues to devalue higher education – from trade schools to the top-of-the-line institutions. Razer wants the state to boost funding to them to help ensure that every student can afford to reach their full potential – regardless of where they are from.

“That next great neurosurgeon is out there somewhere, and it may not be in a rich neighborhood,” he says. “She may be on a farm somewhere. She may be in a trailer home somewhere. She may be living in an inner city in a crime-ridden neighborhood, but we have to, as a state, make sure that we aren’t pigeon-holing people to stay in their station in life.”

Razer says in 1999, 70% of the University of Missouri-Columbia’s budget was from state funding. Today, about 20% of the university’s budget is made up of state funding.

“The difference from that 70 to 20% has to be made up,” says Razer. “It’s made up partly through fundraising that the University of Missouri has been very successful at. But the majority of that is made up through tuition and fees on students and families.”

According to Razer, additional funding will help to ensure colleges and universities are world-class and affordable for all students. He cites Georgia’s scholarship program that works with Georgia students to make in-state college a reality for them.

“Their population is growing. Their citizenry is better educated,” he says. “They are attracting the businesses of tomorrow. The same is true when you look at other states that are growing – when you look at North Carolina, when you look at Texas. They are making investments in their people, and their infrastructure, and their institutions.”

Razer says Missouri students are “leaving in droves” to attend colleges and universities in Kansas, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. He says some of these states are offering large discounts.

“I think it’s the University of Arkansas just offers in-state tuition to Missouri residents to go to the University of Arkansas. Their state better funds the university so it’s cheaper for kids to go to Arkansas than it is to go to Missouri,” says Razer.

State funding also impacts the ability of Missouri colleges and universities to recruit faculty and staff.

Razer says Missouri is doing a good job of recruiting students from the Chicago area, and therefore a few more arguments over the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

Missouri bills would move some local races and issues to a later election

February 12, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Local races and issues, like fire district and school board as well as tax increase and bond proposals, could be moved from April to later in the year. Some members of the Missouri Legislature have filed bills this session that aim to make the switch.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (file photo courtesy of the Secretary of State’s office)

During a Missouri House Budget Committee hearing this week, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, says he has not taken a position on the idea. However, he says there would be savings if the election was moved from April to November.

“You are not having the cost of all the absentee ballots and ballots that you would have had in April,” says Ashcroft. “You would have roughly the same amount in November, but they might be a little bit longer. So, their costs would increase a little bit. But that’s probably a cost decrease. I think there will be a cost decrease if that were to be done. I cannot tell you that it would be substantial. I find it difficult to believe that there would be a cost increase.”

Representative Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, was the longtime Carroll County Clerk in northwest Missouri. She disagrees that there would be a savings.

She goes on to say she is not a fan of making those election changes.

“I think there is going to be a lot of talk about how difficult it would be to put all those layers and all the different races on one ballot,” says McGaugh.

She says voter fatigue is real.

“That occurs when the ballots are so long,” says McGaugh. “And so, the danger is that the lower-level fire districts and the townships, by the time the people have voted for everybody else up above, they’re done. They’re going walk out without voting. So, I think it’s a real danger to the local entities to put them on partisan ballots.”

State Rep. Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 13, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Bill 920, sponsored by Neosho Republican Representative Ben Baker, would change the election day for the election of political subdivision and special district officers to the first Tuesday after the first Monday from April to November each year.

During a hearing about the bill, supporters said local election turnout is historically low and the measure would boost participation.

Opponents of the bill included Matt Morrow, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce; The City of Springfield; Missouri Municipal League; and Missouri Association of School Administrators. One argument made was election workers would be overwhelmed by the change. Another one was county clerks will have difficulty applying all the configuration of ballots that will be necessary to make sure citizens received the correct ballots for their district.

Senate Bill 414, sponsored by Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, has some similar components.

Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, is proposing SJR 5, a Constitutional amendment that would ask voters to move all elections for local tax increases to a general election.

Missouri Secretary of State says presidential preference primary is a waste of money

February 10, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says the state’s presidential preference primary does not really matter. During a House Budget Committee hearing on Monday, Ashcroft, a Republican, says the delegates for president are determined at party caucuses – not the presidential primary.

“I just hate the idea of presiding over an election when we’re telling people to vote in the primary when I’m saying ‘No you should really vote in the caucus. That’s where your vote matters.’ Legally, the presidential primary is not required in any way to determine where the delegates are apportioned,” says Ashcroft.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (file photo courtesy of the Secretary of State’s office)

He says that election is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

“We’re spending about $8 million this year of Missouri taxpayer dollars and I just don’t think there’s a good return for the people of the state,” he says. “Now, if we weren’t going to do the caucuses and the presidential preference was what determined it, that’d be a different story.”

In 1986, the Missouri Legislature adopted a bill to hold a presidential preference primary in 1988. Some at the time said it was aimed at helping then-U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-St. Louis County, in his 1988 bid for president.

Then in 1998, the Legislature approved a bill with no expiration date that holds a presidential preference primary every four years. Senate Bill 709 was signed by then-Governor Mel Carnahan, a Democrat.

The state has held presidential preference primaries six straight times: in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.

Missouri used presidential caucuses, like Iowa, in 1992 and 1996.

Kinder describes the late Wayne Goode “as one of the real giants in the Missouri Senate” (AUDIO)

October 6, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Political figures on both sides of the aisle are praising the legacy of longtime Missouri lawmaker Wayne Goode, D-Normandy, who died Saturday at the age of 83. The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reports Goode died from leukemia.

The late State Sen. Wayne Goode, D-Normandy, speaks on the Missouri Senate floor in Jefferson City in 2002 (file photo courtesy of Jonathan Lorenz at Senate Communications)

Goode served 42 years in the Legislature, from 1963 to 2005. Most of that was before term limits took effect in 1994. Goode served in the Missouri House from 1963 to 1984, and in the Senate from 1984 to January 2005.

Goode served 12 years in the Senate with former State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, who was President Pro Tem for Goode’s final years in the chamber.

“Wayne Goode was plainly and justifiably recognized by all as one of the real giants in the Missouri Senate, and for that matter, the General Assembly in the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century,” Kinder says.

Kinder praises Goode’s encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri’s complicated education foundation formula and of the budget. He notes Goode served as a House Budget Committee chairman.

“Wayne was a great storer of institutional knowledge and wisdom all to himself. He was a guy people on both sides of the aisle looked to for guidance on a lot of issues,” says Kinder.

Kinder credits Goode and the late State Sen. John Russell, R-Lebanon, for helping Missouri through tough budget years from 2001-2004. Kinder notes Goode and Russell entered the Missouri House together in 1963, and that while they shared different political philosophies, they put the state’s interest first.

The “Post-Dispatch” reports one of Goode’s first pieces of legislation in the 1960s allowed the University of Missouri to acquire property in Normandy to establish the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After leaving the Senate, then-Governor Jay Nixon (D) appointed Goode to the UM Board of Curators from 2009-2014.

“The respect from every member of the (Missouri Senate) chamber and every member of the House chamber and the executive branch was always there for Wayne Goode,” Kinder says.

Brad Ketcher, who served as Governor Mel Carnahan’s (D) chief of staff, describes Senator Goode as an extraordinary legislator, tweeting Sunday that “Missouri was so much better for his decades of public service.”

Goode also was known for his legislation involving the environment, including the issue of emission testing on vehicles in the St. Louis area. And he expressed concerns several times about speeding and increasing traffic deaths on Missouri highways.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full five-minute interview with former Missouri Lt. Governor and former Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder (R-Cape Girardeau) about State Sen. Wayne Goode’s service and legacy. The interview was recorded on October 5, 2020:

Missouri agency responsible for child welfare services has now had six directors in seven years

September 30, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A former state lawmaker from mid-Missouri’s Morgan County has resigned as Missouri’s Children’s Division director, after about three months on the job.

Former State Rep. David Wood, R-Versailles, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 15, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Former State Rep. David Wood, R-Versailles, was named the Children’s Division director in June. He told Missourinet on Tuesday that he is no longer the Children’s Division Director, adding that he appreciates the “opportunity that the governor gave me, and I wish the Children’s Division the best as they are very good people doing a very difficult job.”

The Children’s Division is part of the state Department of Social Services (DSS), and is responsible for the administration of child welfare services. Its responsibilities also include foster care and adoption.

The division works with families, communities and the courts toward ensuring the safety and well-bring of Missouri children.

There have now been six Children’s Division directors in the past seven years.

Wood, who served almost eight years in the Missouri House, resigned his seat in June, after being named the new Children’s Division director. Wood could not seek re-election, because of term limits.

He told Missourinet Versailles affiliate KTKS in May that he planned to stay for at least four years and that the division needed stability. Wood, who served as the House Budget Committee’s vice chairman, also told KTKS that he hoped his experience would help in funding the Children’s Division.

“I know it’s going to be a tough budget cycle because the revenues aren’t coming in, we’re going to have to look at cuts,” Wood said in May. “And with my experience on the budget and knowing how to deal with that and how to defend certain pieces, I think I’m going to be a good advocate for the department.”

The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reports Joanie Rogers is now serving as interim director.

Missouri lawmakers to hear Tuesday testimony on two issues: Medicaid expansion and tax credits

June 30, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri lawmakers will hear testimony on Tuesday in Jefferson City about potential impacts on the state budget, if voters approve Medicaid expansion in August.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks on the Missouri House floor on May 6, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Medicaid, which is officially called MO HealthNet in Missouri, is a federal and state program that assists with medical costs for residents with limited incomes.

Missouri voters will cast ballots on Amendment Two in August, and the House Budget Committee will hear testimony Tuesday afternoon from 1-5 about potential budget implications.

Missouri’s current Medicaid budget is about $10 billion, about one-third of the state’s approximately $30 billion budget.

Thirty-six states have approved Medicaid expansion.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry has endorsed Amendment Two, describing it as a “pro-jobs measure that will help fuel economic growth throughout our state.” The Chamber cites a report from the Missouri Foundation for Health, which says Medicaid expansion will create more than 16,000 new jobs annually during its first five years, creating more state revenue.

The Missouri Hospital Association also backs Medicaid expansion, saying 10 rural Missouri hospitals have closed since 2014.

Top Missouri GOP leaders oppose Medicaid expansion, warning it will impact the budget, causing cuts in other programs.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, says it would take dollars out of the classroom. He notes it would require a ten percent match, for the 90 percent draw down.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, agrees, warning it will blow a hole in the state operating budget. Governor Mike Parson (R) has expressed similar concerns.

The Budget Committee will also meet Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon for their annual tax credit review hearing. Tax credits are essentially money that can be offset against a tax liability.

Budget Chairman Smith tells Missourinet that the state issued $551 million in tax credits in fiscal year 2019. Supporters of tax credits in the Legislature say they’re critical to landing key projects, especially in rural Missouri.

But opponents say they decrease funding for other parts of the state budget.

Missouri lawmakers to hear detailed report about tax credits, which now total $551 million

June 18, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The state of Missouri issued more than $550 million in tax credits in fiscal year 2019.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks on the House floor in Jefferson City on May 6, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Missouri budget writers will hear a detailed report about tax credits later this month. The House Budget Committee has scheduled a June 30 hearing at the Statehouse in Jefferson City, which is the committee’s annual tax credit review hearing.

Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet that the state issued $551.79 million in tax credits in fiscal year 2019. Chairman Smith notes fiscal year 2020 is still to be determined.

The tax credit issue has been a controversial one at times, during recent years in Jefferson City.

Tax credit supporters say they create jobs and are crucial to landing projects across the state, including many rural areas that need good-paying jobs.

Opponents of tax credits say they reduce funding for other parts of Missouri’s approximately $30 billion state operating budget, and sometimes go to well-connected developers. Former Governor Eric Greitens (R) was a critic of tax credits.

The June 30 hearing will take place in the Missouri House chamber.

Twice-daily Amtrak service across Missouri gets bipartisan support in House Budget Committee

March 17, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the Missouri House Budget Committee teamed up this week to support a GOP amendment, which removes the restriction to once-daily Amtrak passenger service across Missouri.

The amendment is from State Rep. Aaron Griesheimer, R-Washington. The Missouri River Runner train stops in his hometown of Washington, which has an Amtrak station near the Missouri River.

State Reps. Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, and Wes Rogers (far right), D-Kansas City, listen to testimony during a House Budget Committee hearing on March 15, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis, voted for the Griesheimer amendment on Sunday. Representative Aldridge has ridden the Missouri River Runner train from St. Louis to Jefferson City, for session.

“I’ve used the Amtrak quite often, and I know how essential it is not just to me but to people that are trying to see our great state,” Aldridge says. “If it’s getting to Kansas City, Jefferson City, other stops that people like to visit.”

Representative Aldridge tells colleagues that both the morning and afternoon Amtrak trains are usually 90 percent full when he rides, and emphasizes the service’s need.

The train stops in downtown St. Louis, near 14th Street. It also stops in several Missouri towns, including Sedalia, Warrensburg and Hermann.

The Budget Committee has voted 19-16 to approve the Griesheimer amendment, which is aimed at preserving twice-daily service from St. Louis to Kansas City.

State Rep. Wes Rogers, D-Kansas City, also voted for the amendment, telling Griesheimer that twice-daily train service is good for tourism too.

“When we visit my in-laws in St. Louis, we like to get on the train in Kirkwood (a St. Louis suburb), take it to your district, spend the day and get back on the train and then go home. It’s my son’s favorite thing to do. Without your amendment, would that be impossible?” Rogers asks.

“Yes,” Griesheimer responds.

“Thank you, no more questions,” Rogers says.

The Amtrak issue could come up again on the House floor, when the full Missouri House begins budget debate. It’s unclear now when that will be, due to coronavirus concerns.

The state owes Amtrak more than $6 million in unpaid bills.