House, Senate Give Final Approval to the State Budget

The House and Senate have reached final agreement on a state spending plan that provides record funding for K-12 education, makes major investments in the state’s infrastructure, and provides strong support for law enforcement and public safety.

The budget as it left the House in March appropriated approximately $45.6 billion. The Senate then added several additional spending items to bring the total price tag of the plan to roughly $49.9 billion. The final version approved by the two chambers cuts the Senate total by more than $1 billion to bring the total funding allocated in the budget to nearly $48.8 billion, with an additional $4.7 billion in capital improvement and American Recovery Plan Act projects.

• Record Funding for K-12 Schools

Included in the budget is more than $9.8 billion in funding for K-12 public schools in Missouri. That total includes $3.6 billion to provide full funding for the school foundation formula, which determines funding levels for public schools across the state. The fund- ing for public education also includes a total of $347 million to fully fund school transportation for the second time in as many years. The budget also provides an additional $29 million to raise the minimum public school teacher salary to $38,000 annually. Additionally, the two chambers agreed to allocate $50 million in funding for Close the Gap grants that will help Missouri families address the learning loss that occurred as a result of the pandemic.

• Increased Support for Higher Education

The General Assembly also expressed our ongoing support for higher education. The finalized version of the spending plan allocates more than $1.4 billion for higher education and workforce development. Included in that figure is a 7% funding increase for the state’s public colleges and universities. The FY 2024 budget also includes full funding for the state’s scholarship programs such as Bright Flight, Access Missouri, and the A+ Scholarship Program.

• Funding Increases for I-70 Expansion and Infrastructure Improvements

The House and Senate also made the single largest investment in Missouri transportation history by providing $2.8 billion to widen Interstate-70 to at least three lanes in both directions from Blue Springs near Kansas City to Wentzville near St. Louis.

After the deadly Amtrak derailment near Mendon last year, the budget also appropriates $50 million for safety improvements at railroad crossings.

• Strong Support for Law Enforcement, Public Safety

Another point of emphasis in the spending plan is support for law enforcement and public safety. The budget provides a 20% pay increase for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Capitol Police. It also includes $50 million for school safety grants for Missouri schools to make physical security investments on their campuses.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve Northwest Missouri in the Missouri House of Representatives. Please do not hesitate to contact me at 573-751-0246 or at Josh. Hurlbert@house.mo.gov if there is anything I can do for you, or stop by my office in Room 406-B if you are ever in the Capitol.

Bike race pedals into Lathrop

As part of the 2023 Humphrey’s Gravel Grinder, dozens of bicyclists came through Lathrop on Saturday and stopped as a break station provided by the Lathrop Chamber at Burns Memorial Park. The bicycling event included several different ride lengths, all beginning and ending in Smithville, Mo.

Scott Earns PhD

Lathrop Rotary Club’s annual Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls shoe drive contributed to a total collection of 10,180 pairs of new shoes for vulnerable children. The shoes and over 12,000 pairs of socks, which were donated by community members and organizations from June 1, 2022, to April 28, 2023, were picked up by the Rotary District 6040 caravan and shipped to nonprofit Buckner International. The shoes will be sorted and distributed by Buckner to children in countries like Guatemala and Dominican Republic. The Lathrop Rotary Club contributed 400 pairs of shoes, 1088 pairs of socks (688 staying in the Lathrop Community), and

103 misc. shoe accessories.

The annual Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls donation drive is in coordination with the other clubs in north Missouri that make up Rotary District 6040.

“We are so grateful for the way our community came together to help children in need through the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls program,” said Corey Strider, treasurer of the Lathrop Rotary Club. “Our annual drive would not be possible without the support of our local businesses, churches, retailers and civic groups – and of course, it’s the generosity and love of our town’s residents that bring hope to thousands of kids each year.”