The Missouri House of Representatives finished work March 22 on the state's $24 billion operating budget with increases for education and cuts to health care for the blind. The fiscal 2013 budget must be sent to the governor's desk by May 11.
House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, said the House should be proud of the budget it passed.
"We have produced another balanced budget for the state of Missouri," Silvey said.
Missouri started the budget process with a $500 million shortfall from last year because federal stimulus funds expired, and the federal government decreased its reimbursement rate for Medicaid costs.
The cuts caused by the budget shortfall left some Democrats calling for more revenue during the budget debate. Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield, said the reluctance to raise taxes caused the budget to reflect a choice between higher education and social service programs.
"We are making false choices because we have not addressed the revenue stream," Lampe said.
Silvey said the House did the best it could with a certain amount of money.
"A lot of people in this chamber wish we had more money, but the fact of the matter is that we don't. ... We have to deal with the now," Silvey said.
The final House budget debate on March 22 centered on education.
"I think we should continue to fund education even though we are underfunding it," said Rep. Karla May, D-St. Louis. "We need to find a way to fund it, and if that way is increasing revenue, then, yes."
Republican Floor Leader Tim Jones, R-St. Louis County, said the funds won't make a difference.
"Spending more money and education results have no correlation," Jones said.
On a straight party-line vote, the House rejected a proposal for the state to accept $50 million in federal funds to update the state's computer system for handling Medicaid applications. The money is part of a federal program to update state health systems in preparation for implementation of parts of the federal health care law that's now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lawmakers criticized the administration last year for attempting to use the money without legislative authorization.
During the State of the State address, Gov. Jay Nixon
proposed an operating budget of $22.98 billion, slightly lower than the House recommendation.[[In-content Ad]]