Missouri lawmakers working to pass budget boosting funding for education and infrastructure

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers were working to pass a roughly $51 billion state budget Friday that boosts funding for education and infrastructure projects around the state.

The House faced a 6 p.m. Friday deadline, set by the state constitution, to give final approval to the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The Senate signed off the spending plan Thursday after sometimes tense debate between majority-party Republicans.

“The end product is a good, sound, fiscally responsible, conservative and prioritized budget,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough said.

Democrats complained about a secretive, rushed process and asserted that lawmakers should have spent even more from the state’s budget surplus on public services and schools.

Work on the budget in the Senate had been delayed last week amid a standoff between chamber leaders — who wanted to pass a $4.5 billion hospital tax program before tackling the rest of the budget — and the Freedom Caucus.

Members of the GOP faction spent the better part of two days last week filibustering in an attempt to pressure Republican Gov. Mike Parson to sign legislation defunding Planned Parenthood, which he had been expected to do and eventually did Thursday.

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