Missouri Office of Administration Archives

Budget to take center stage in Missouri House, when lawmakers return from spring break

March 15, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The state operating budget and a proposed $1 billion-plus supplemental budget will dominate attention in the Missouri House, when state representatives return to Jefferson City after spring break.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) testifies before a House committee in Jefferson City on February 24, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The Legislature is on its annual spring break this week, and lawmakers will return to the Statehouse on March 22.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) is recommending a proposed $34.1 billion state operating budget. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) says the plan is for the House to give final approval to that budget, during the week of March 29.

“If things go according to plan, the second week after we’re back (the week of March 29), we could be looking at perfecting and third-reading the budget and sending it over to the Senate. So, that’s our schedule and we’re on schedule so far and our intention is to try to get it done in time enough to send to the Senate and give them adequate time for their consideration,” Smith told Capitol reporters on Thursday.

House Speaker Rob Vescovo (R-Arnold) says Chairman Smith will be working on the state budget, during the spring break. The state Constitution requires Missouri lawmakers to approve a balanced budget, by early May.

The Parson administration is also proposing a $1.67 billion supplemental budget. Much of that involves federal dollars.

“We’ll be taking it back up when we get back from (the legislative) spring break. We’ll go through the committee mark up process and vote it out,” Chairman Smith tells Missourinet.

State Budget Director Dan Haug outlined the supplemental budget, during testimony in late January.

The proposed supplemental budget includes $1.6 million to cover COVID-related revenue losses impacting the Missouri State Fair fee fund.

Director Haug’s January report noted that the State Fair in Sedalia has lost significant revenue due to cancellations of off-season and fair events. That includes event rental fees, gate admissions, camping fees, entry fees and sponsorship fees.

The January report also noted the Missouri State Fair has had to buy substantial amounts of janitorial and sanitizing supplies, along with a large quantity of additional signage to help ensure the safety of staff and event participants.

The January report notes that the State Fair has a long history of meeting its operational costs with its own fee revenues, which is the State Fair fee fund.

The Office of Administration (OA) notes attendance at the 2019 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia was 337,112. Because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020 state fair was a youth livestock show only. The OA report says the percentage of the State Fair’s operating budget paid by state fair fees was 89 percent in 2019, before the pandemic struck.

Missouri’s current state operating budget is about $38 billion, which includes about $7.4 billion in supplemental budgets with federal money.

Missouri social services workers develop plan to help more youth aging out of foster care system

January 1, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Shasta Miller says a former foster child put it best: a Missouri Department of Social Services unit has helped more in four months than anyone else has in 17 years.

“I want to see more youth get the help that I received because they deserve it,’” the child said.

Missouri social services workers develop plan to help more youth aging out of foster care system

That is exactly what the Southeast Royals Unit wants to do. Miller, along with Rene’ Brinkman, Bobbie Thomas and Nicole Robinson, lead the unit helping older youth prepare for adult life.

“We have a real problem here in Missouri,” says Miller. “Our older youth are leaving our foster care system to higher rates of incarceration, lack of education, unemployment and homelessness.”

They launched the unit about six months ago in southeast Missouri. Robinson says their work has led to most of their foster kids getting a driver’s permit or license, two-thirds have opened a bank account, 63% have a job and 68% of eligible youth have enrolled in college courses.

Now, they want to take the effort statewide. They pitched the idea last month during a state government challenge that brings together workers within Missouri’s 16 executive departments – and they won.

The “Show Me Challenge” – styled after the hit TV show “Shark Tank” – is designed to better serve citizens, cut out bureaucracy, and save the state time and money. The Missouri Office of Administration says the event, which launched in January 2019, is put on twice a year. To date, more than 500 team members have pitched ideas to improve Missouri’s state government processes.

Thomas says an expansion could save Missouri in jail costs and homelessness prevention efforts.

“If we invest in our youth now, we could save up to $2 million each year,” she says. “With increased employment rates we project the state could earn $21,000 in tax revenue each year. Case managers will also benefit from additional Royals units because we would take 300 high-risk youth off of the caseloads,” says Thomas.

Their pitch would add five more units around the state and use existing staff and resources.

“Four-hundred and seven Missouri youth have aged out of foster care since October of 2019,” says Brinkman. “The current Royals unit would only have been able to serve about 1% of that population. However, if we had six Royals units across the state, we could have served 74% of those youth.”

Their winning idea has landed them $500 each, along with senior support and mentorship to translate their proposal into results.

Members from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Office of Administration won second place for their proposal using a statewide campground recycling program to increase convenience of recycling for campers, reducing waste going to landfills.

Third place went to workers from Missouri State Parks, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. They offered a plan creating a centralized website with virtual education materials to better serve educators unable to take their students to visit Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites for in-person learning.

Christmas tree from rural southeast Missouri to be displayed on Governor’s Mansion lawn in Jefferson City

November 23, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Christmas tree that will be displayed on the Governor’s Mansion lawn this year will be from a small town in southeast Missouri.

Missouri Office of Administration (OA) staff help install the Governor’s Mansion lawn Christmas tree in Jefferson City on December 2, 2019 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson says the tree that will be displayed on the Mansion lawn is a 40-foot Norway spruce donated by Doris Baker, who’s from southeast Missouri’s Desloge. It’s a town of about 5,000 residents, near Farmington.

Ms. Baker has donated her tree because it became too large for her yard.

The tree will arrive in Jefferson City on Monday morning between 7 and 8, and it’s so big that part of Madison Street outside the mansion will be closed, when it arrives.

Missouri Office of Administration (OA) staff will install the Mansion lawn tree.

The governor’s office has also announced that the annual lighting of the tree will take place on Friday December 4, at 6 p.m. That will be followed by candlelight tours that evening until 8. This year’s candlelight tours will be by reservation-only, due to COVID concerns.

Governor Parson’s office says it will announce additional details about the tours early next week.

Missouri Governor’s office: four staffers who’ve tested positive for COVID have fully recovered

October 5, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri governor’s office announced late Monday afternoon that four staffers have tested positive for the coronavirus this year. The governor’s office issued a news release, saying the staffers tested include governor’s office staff, governor’s mansion staff and the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Governor Security Division.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s temperature is checked at Compass Health in Wentzville on September 17, 2020 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The governor’s office says Governor Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson have both fully recovered from COVID, and have returned to their normal schedules. They both tested positive for COVID on September 23.

“Teresa and I are so grateful that we are two of well over 100,000 Missourians that have recovered from this virus,” Governor Parson said, in a written statement. “We are glad to be back and want to again thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We are humbled every day to be surrounded by such great people across the state.”

The governor’s office says all staff meeting the definition of close contact were tested, after the governor and first lady tested positive. The office says the four staffers who tested positive have fully recovered.

The governor says the office continues all normal business operations and duties, at this time.

Meantime, Missouri officials say 1,842 state employees have tested positive this year for COVID-19.

The state Office of Administration (OA) says the department with the largest number is the state Department of Corrections, which has seen 646 cases. The state Department of Mental Health (DMH) has had 393 cases, and the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) has had 211 cases. OA says 1,259 of the 1,842 state employees have recovered.

OA says the numbers represent the total number of state employees who’ve tested positive in 2020, as of Friday. Missouri currently has 52,863 state employees.

Missouri makes progress on building up its personal protective equipment supply

August 26, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri continues to work on its supply of personal protective equipment to help battle COVID-19. State Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten tells Missourinet the pricing for the gear is better than it used to be.

Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten (Photo courtesy of governor’s Flickr page)

“For example, the N95 masks that you’ve heard a lot of people talk about – in March and April timeframe, those were around $4 to $5 per mask. Now we’re getting them for 67 cents on up to 73 cents. It just varies,” she says.

The equipment, like masks, face shields, gowns and gloves, are used by Missouri’s first responders and healthcare workers.

The state gets daily shipments of the items – allowing Missouri to make regular deliveries to first responders and healthcare workers and to build up a stockpile.

“I feel better with where we are now compared to where we were earlier – at the beginning of this COVID, but we still have got a long way to go to get to the levels we need to have a sustained supply of PPE. I feel better but I wouldn’t say good yet,” Karsten says.

The Office of Administration will soon take over that equipment responsibility from the State Emergency Management Agency.

“It looks like we are going to be positioning ourselves for the next year to year and a half,” she says.

Karsten was at a State Emergency Management Agency warehouse this week in Jefferson City when 400,000 masks were being loaded and delivered to schools in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties.

(VIDEO) Top takes from today’s COVID-19 briefing in Missouri

April 20, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Gov. Mike Parson is freezing another $47 million in the current state budget to help Missouri fight the coronavirus. The largest chunks of funding being withheld are nearly $16 million to K-12 education and $7.1 million in school bus transportation costs. During today’s virtual briefing, Parson says the restrictions will be felt by seven other state agencies, the Attorney General’s Office and the Legislature.

Gov. Mike Parson (Photo courtesy of governor’s Flickr page)

“COVID-19 is unlike anything we have ever dealt with before, and like many families during this time, we are having to make adjustments and cut back on our state expenditures,” says Parson. “These are not easy decisions, but this is the right thing to do to ensure our budget is balanced and that we are financially prepared to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 going forward.”

To view the full list of funding restrictions, click here.

On April 1, Parson announced $180 million in budget withholds – more than $81 million was to the Missouri Department of Higher Education. Other agencies affected were the Missouri Office of Administration, Transportation, Economic Development and Natural Resources.

Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten (Photo courtesy of governor’s Flickr page)

Meanwhile, a vendor has given a refund to the state for an order of protective masks that did not fit correctly. The Columbia Daily Tribune reports Missouri paid $9 million in advance to NMS LLC of St. Louis to secure 3.9 million masks. Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten says discussions determined that the vendor remains committed to helping Missouri get more protective equipment to fight the coronavirus.

“During those talks, it became clear the vendor was no opposed to and never was opposed to refunding the state the deposit paid for the order,” says Karsten.

Karsten says the agreement resolves all refund issues with vendors used to get personal protective gear. She says the state will no longer be buying KN95 respirator masks.

More than 5,800 people have tested positive in Missouri for the coronavirus and 177 people have died as a result of the respiratory disease.

Southwest Missouri lawmaker describes his concerns with Ceres statue (AUDIO)

December 11, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A southwest Missouri lawmaker who opposes returning the Ceres statue to the top of the Capitol in Jefferson City says the state should not be promoting any religion.

State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, speaks at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on February 12, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, describes Ceres as a “false god.”

“Ceres as an agricultural goddess of Rome and I believe that represents a religion of sorts, so we shouldn’t be putting goddesses or gods of any type at the dome of the Capitol,” Moon says.

While the Office of Administration (OA) plans to return Ceres to the top of the Capitol this month, Moon has written a letter to Governor Mike Parson (R), asking him to stop it. Representative Moon tells Missourinet the statue should be placed at another location at the Capitol, but not on the dome.

“They (state officials) spent the money, they restored the exterior, you can still put her (Ceres) someplace else,” says Moon.

Moon, who’s a deacon and Sunday school teacher at High Street Baptist Church in southwest Missouri, says God “commanded the Israelites to have no gods other than him.” Ceres is the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain.

He says he hasn’t had an opportunity to speak to the governor by phone or in person, since Monday’s letter. Governor Parson’s spokeswoman, Kelli Jones, tells Missourinet the governor’s office has no response to Representative Moon’s letter, at this time.

During an interview with Missourinet at Friday’s unveiling ceremony at the Statehouse, Governor Parson indicated the statue would return to the dome.

“And she’s all dressed up, she’s pretty to go back up on top of our state Capitol and represent all of us here in the state of Missouri,” Governor Parson told Missourinet, next to the sculpture.

Moon admits he should have addressed the issue when Ceres was taken down for restoration in November 2018, saying he forgot about it until last week’s news coverage. That’s when he received a call from a constituent, asking about it.

The Ceres sculpture weighs more than 1,400 pounds. The restoration cost about $400,000, all part of a massive $50 million renovation project at the Capitol aimed at addressing deteriorating stonework on the facades, dome and drum, which was finished in 1917.

Ceres was placed on the Statehouse dome in October 1924 and remained there until November 2018, when the restoration process began.

OA says the statue was struck by lightning about 300 times during those years, mainly atop the head. Representative Moon suggests placing a lightning rod on the top of the Capitol, instead.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, which was conducted on December 10, 2019:

Ceres expected to return to top of Missouri Capitol next week; GOP lawmaker opposes it (AUDIO)

December 9, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Hundreds of people turned out this weekend in downtown Jefferson City to view a renovated statue that normally sits 260-feet above the ground at the Missouri Capitol.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (right) and Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe unveil the renovated Ceres sculpture on December 6, 2019 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Governor Mike Parson (R) and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R) helped unveil Ceres on Friday afternoon, on the Capitol’s south side, near the media parking lot.

“And she’s all dressed up, she’s pretty to go back up on top on top of our state Capitol and represent all of us here in the state of Missouri,” Parson says.

Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain, represents Missouri’s agricultural industry.

The ten-foot sculpture weighs more than 1,400 pounds. It was on top of the Capitol from October 1924 to November 2018, when restoration began. Ceres was taken to the Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio (CSOS) for cleaning and refurbishing. The CSOS is located in Forest Park, Illinois.

The Missouri Office of Administration (OA) says the statue was struck by lightning about 300 times between 1924 and 2018, mainly atop the head.

Despite cold temperatures Friday, about 100 people turned out for the unveiling event. Governor Parson tells Missourinet he’s impressed with the crowds that turned out.

“It’s cool out here today but for Missouri in December, it’s not bad,” says Parson. “The sun is shining. It’s still a beautiful day here.”

The Ceres restoration cost about $400,000, all part of a massive $50 million renovation project at the Capitol aimed at addressing deteriorating stonework on the facades, dome and drum, which was completed in 1917.

Ceres is expected to be lifted up to the top of the Capitol again next week, but at least one Missouri lawmaker is calling on the governor to stop that from happening.

“God commanded the Israelites to ‘have no gods other than him.’ He also said, ‘Do not make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. Governor Parson, you and I have placed our trust in the same Lord, the God of the Bible. As such, I appeal to your good judgment, as a follower of Jesus Christ, to direct the Capitol Commission to not return the false god Ceres, the Roman goddess, to the top of the Capitol dome,” State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, writes, in part.

Representative Moon says “we serve a mighty God and we have need for no other god(s).” Moon also says that those who would oppose placing a statue of Jesus on state property would supporting placing what he calls “a false god” on the Capitol dome.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Governor Mike Parson, which was recorded outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on December 6, 2019: