state budget Archives

UPDATE: Missouri House gives final approval to budget; feral hog debate gets heated

May 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House voted Friday afternoon in Jefferson City to give final approval to a $35.2 billion state operating budget, after some heated discussion earlier in the day about feral hogs and other issues relating to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, (right) and House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, discuss the state budget in Jefferson City on May 8, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The budget is now in the Missouri Senate, which must approve it by 6 p.m. tonight.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says the compromise budget between the House and Senate contains $20 million for Missouri meat processing facilities, impacted by COVID-19. Smith says it’s for plants with less than 200 employees, for support, workforce assistance, equipment and capital improvements.

The bipartisan funding for the plants is aimed at helping them address supply chain disruptions and to mitigate health and environmental impacts as a result of the pandemic.

The budget also contains $12 million for broadband expansion, relating to the pandemic. Budget Chairman Smith and ranking Democrat Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia, say that is critical.

It also includes $2 million for the Missouri Lottery to advertise. The original House budget cut it to $100,000, but the Senate allocated $3 million. Budget negotiators settled on the $2 million.

There was also heated discussion today on the Missouri House floor, after State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, blasted the Senate, saying they took $100,000 out of the budget for hungry women/children. Lavender called that decision shameful.

State Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, and Representative Lavender then had a heated discussion about “setting the record straight”, but disagree on what that record is. They spoke over each other at times.

State Rep. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, described Lavender’s floor comments as “factually wrong”, saying the budget expands the “Share the Harvest” program to $300,000. Ross also blasted the Missouri Department of Conservation, saying they tried to put $100,000 in the budget for a new forest service employee.

Ross tells the House that employee would have “harassed” feral hog hunters at the Mark Twain National Forest.

Normally, the Missouri Capitol’s public fourth-floor galleries are packed with lobbyists and schoolchildren, during budget debate. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, there was just one person observing today.

Haahr rules out Missouri House remote sessions (AUDIO)

March 16, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s House Speaker says “remote” floor sessions are not a possibility for the 163-member chamber.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, views the chamber on March 12, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, was asked about the issue by a Capitol reporter on Thursday, due to concerns about coronavirus.

“There would be no way to verify the ability of people to vote remotely, not just in viewing them but understanding if they’re voting under duress or anything like that,” Haahr says.

Mr. Haahr continues to urge schoolchildren and other guests who are not directly involved in legislative business to avoid the Statehouse in Jefferson City, due to coronavirus concerns. He says the more people who visit the Capitol, the more chances that House members and staff will be at risk for coronavirus.

“We (the House) will have to meet in-person to do voting. The question is how do we do that, protect the members of the Legislature and continue to have state government operate,” says Haahr.

The Speaker notes the 163 House members and thousands of guests travel to the Missouri Capitol from every corner of the state each week. House leaders have closed the House chamber’s floor to the public, for the time being.

The House held “technical” sessions on Sunday and again on Monday. That means one lawmaker literally gavels the chamber in and out. It allows committee hearings to take place on those days. The House Budget Committee met for almost 12 hours on Sunday, before wrapping up at about 1:30 on Monday morning.

Speaker Haahr’s plan is for the full House to return to Jefferson City on Wednesday, with an expected House vote on a proposed $30 billion state operating budget. The House is expected to vote for final budget approval on Thursday.

The House would then begin its regularly-scheduled spring break and would return on March 30. The Senate is not in session this week. Once the House leaves, the Capitol is expected to receive a thorough cleaning.

Click here to listen to the audio from Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr’s press conference on March 12, 2020 in Jefferson City. KMIZ Channel 17’s Joe McLean asks the Speaker about the issue of remote sessions: