supplemental budget Archives

DHSS: Missouri now has 110 COVID-19 deaths

April 12, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

State health officials say there are now 4,160 confirmed coronavirus cases in Missouri, along with 110 deaths.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced the latest numbers on Easter Sunday afternoon. The numbers have increased from Friday’s total of 3,799 cases and 96 deaths.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signs the $6.2 billion supplemental budget to fight COVID-19 on April 10, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson (R) signed the historic $6.2 billion supplemental budget on Friday, the largest supplemental budget in Missouri history. It’s aimed at battling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has cost thousands of jobs across the state.

The governor said Friday that the supplemental provides access to federal funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed by President Donald Trump in late March.

The CARES Act includes $150 billion in relief to states to help them mitigate coronavirus-related costs in the calendar year 2020.

Some of the funding will also be used to assist local governments with expenses incurred from COVID-19. State Rep. Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia, has been urging the Parson administration to send additional money to local health departments, saying they are critical to containing the coronavirus.

Kendrick is the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

Governor Parson has created an informal working group to make recommendations on best use of those federal dollars. State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (R) is the leader of the working group.

The governor will deliver his next media briefing Monday afternoon at 3 in Jefferson City.

Missouri lawmakers to tackle multi-billion dollar supplemental; senators to be given masks on Tuesday

April 6, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Senate will return to Jefferson City on Tuesday morning to tackle the proposed supplemental budget, which includes billions of dollars to battle the coronavirus outbreak.

Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet that the supplemental has increased to a proposed $5.8 billion.

The Senate will gavel-in Tuesday morning at 11, and the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a noon hearing. The proceedings will be unprecedented, due to the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, tells Missourinet that every state senator and their staff will be given a mask on Tuesday. Because of the governor’s statewide stay-at-home order and health concerns, Rowden is urging the general public to stay at home and to view the proceedings on the Missouri Senate website.

“The goal is to protect the public, staff and members of the General Assembly present in the Capitol building,” Rowden says.

Rowden and House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, have been working with MU Health Care to ensure the safety of state lawmakers to get back inside the Capitol to vote.

The Capitol has been closed to the public since March 24, to help stop the spread of COVID-19. It closed after longtime State Rep. Joe Runions, D-Grandview, tested positive for COVID-19. Runions has since been released from the hospital.

Governor Mike Parson says the Capitol has been receiving a deep-cleaning everyday, since it’s been closed.

Leader Rowden says anyone visiting the Capitol this week will have their temperature taken, and will be questioned about their health, travel and known COVID-19 exposure. Visitors will only have access to the joint committee hearing room and the Capitol’s fourth floor visitor galleries.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, (left) talks to House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, in Jefferson City on February 12, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The public will not have access to legislators’ offices or the surrounding hallways, according to Rowden.

Rowden also says the roll call will be much slower this week.

“And people for the most part will probably be in their offices,” Rowden told Missourinet recently. “Their name will be called and we’ll give them plenty of time to come from their office into the chamber, cast their vote and then leave again. I think the House is going to do something fairly similar.”

The 163-member Missouri House is set to convene Wednesday afternoon at 1 at the Capitol.

“I am very skeptical because, at the end of the day, we don’t know who is coming in and out of that building (the Missouri Capitol) with the virus,” State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, tells the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch”. Hopefully everybody takes this thing serious and covers their mouths and their hands and tries to stay at a distance.”

State health officials say the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri has increased from 2,367 on Sunday to 2,722 on Monday. The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) also says Missouri now has 39 deaths, compared to Sunday’s number of 34.

The “Stay Home Missouri” order signed by Governor Mike Parson on Friday is now in effect. The order took effect at 12:01 this morning, and says Missourians shall avoid leaving their homes or apartments unless necessary. You can still go to work at certain jobs and can access essential services such as grocery stores, gas stations, the pharmacy and banks.

You also also still go outdoors to exercise, but must practice social distancing.