Study examines state spending

Missouri government spent nearly $1 billion more in fiscal year 2000 than it did in 1999, despite claims of a tight budget, according to the Missouri Chamber of Commerce's recently released 2001 Study of Missouri State Government Spending.

The study was updated following the recent release of 2000 spending figures and the proposed 2002 budget. These showed no signs of a slowdown in government spending, which, according to the study, has increased an average of $896 million each year since 1992.

The state government has appropriated $17 billion for 2001, which is a $1 billion increase in spending compared to 2000 and nearly $2 billion higher than spending in 1999, according to the study.

The study was distributed to the Missouri General Assembly Feb. 8, and according to Missouri Chamber President Daniel P. Mehan, it is designed to be a tool for lawmakers to use as they prioritize future spending.

"In the last decade, the cost of running Missouri government has more than doubled, growing from $7.3 billion in 1990 to $16 billion in 2000. This study was compiled to show where that growth has occurred and to identify important trends," Mehan said in a news release.

Other revelations of the study show that Missouri government spending since 1990 has outpaced inflation, and in 2000, Missouri taxpayers paid $6.2 billion more than was needed to keep up with inflation. The most significant increase in spending occurred in the Department of Social Services, which has increased its annual budget by nearly $2 billion since 1992.

Increased spending also occurred in the departments of Insurance, Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Office of the Public Defender. The report stated that spending since 1992 has decreased for the departments of Natural Resources, Labor and Industrial Relations, and Agriculture.