Senate Advances $23.1 Billion

State Operating Budget.

JEFFERSON CITY - Approving funding to run critical functions of state government without a tax increase, the Missouri Senate today advanced thirteen budget bills totaling $23.1 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The bills include nearly $500 million in reductions across the board from the budget proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon in January to meet the state’s requirement for a balanced budget.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, handled the budget bills. Mayer said the cuts were necessary when considering that the state had nearly $1 billion less coming into its state coffers compared to the same time last year.

"This is one of the toughest budget years in our state’s history," said Mayer. "Missouri’s constitution requires us to have a balanced budget. With an eye on our state’s future, we made some difficult decisions to balance the budget and live within our means without raising taxes."

The Senate voted to maintain the school funding formula at its current levels. Missouri’s K-12 schools will receive the same level of funding in FY2011 as they did this year. Mayer said the Senate approved funding of $37.5 million for the Career Ladder program that pays teachers for extra work such as afterschool tutoring. The funding would be contingent on whether Missouri receives an additional $300 million in federal "stimulus" dollars.

Senate Leader Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, commended Mayer for his leadership on the budget.

"Education leaders told us that they would like us to keep their core school formula funding intact," said Shields. "Sen. Mayer listened and protected our students in our classrooms by making sure our school districts will receive the same amount of money from the formula next year as they did this year."

The Senate also reduced Parents as Teachers funding by half or $13 million. Another bill that has received Senate approval would continue to provide the first six visits to families for free to identify and get help to children with developmental delays.

The Senate voted to reduce higher education funding by the same level as the Governor’s recommendation of $50 million, keeping universities’ promises intact to freeze tuition rates. They also reduced ACCESS Missouri Scholarships by $13 million, but Mayer said this cut is not anticipated to touch the program’s core funding.

"Missouri students will continue to benefit from ACCESS Missouri Scholarships," said Mayer. "There is only a small chance scholarship award amounts could be less next year."

Mayer said the largest savings, anticipated to be millions, came from looking at state departments and identifying how they may run more efficiently by eliminating more than 1,000 government jobs, including taxpayer-funded lobbyists, and items like equipment, travel and expenses.

"One of the consistent themes we heard from constituents is that we could and should do more with less, and I believe we are making this happen throughout state government," said Mayer.

Mayer said the Senate also held the line on "new spending" items recommended by the governor’s office, including saying "no" to the following spending proposals:

$600,000 for WWII videos interviewing veterans.

$600,000 for a disparity study.

$730,000 for urban gardens and farmer’s markets, among several others. The Senate also voted to cut its own operating budget by 5 percent, or nearly $500,000.

"We can’t expect citizens to face cuts to programs and not expect to cut our budget," said Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, and Senate Majority Floor Leader. "We are facing the second budget year in a row where we are working with less revenue than the year before, and we are leading by example by cutting our own expenses."

Differences in the budget bills will now be hammered out by conference committees. Negotiated versions must return to the House before gaining Senate approval to advance to the governor. The budget must pass by 6 p.m., Friday, May 7, as required by the constitution.

I’ve only got into poison ivy once that I know about. As a kid out huntin’, I apparently laid down in a ripe growth. It covered my stomach area.

The real battle is ta get it to stop itchin’ long enough ta let it heal. In other words, the less ya do the better off ya are.

This is of course completely opposite of the procedure for the small cuts or abrasions that kids come up with. In that instance there needs ta be an effort to clean and cover, watch for infection and spreadin’. When a cut started itchin’ a little, it was a good sign usually. Meant it was healin’ up.

Sometimes it’s not so clear whether an itch needs scratchin’ or ignorin’. Sometimes it comes down to will power or knowledge, but usually just dumb luck.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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artCentral

ART NOTES from Hyde House

by Sally Armstrong, Director of artCentral

In 1985 an organization named "C.A.S.T & Company" was begun by an energetic group of folks, which was later in part to become artCentral. In honor of those first founders, including a few more that joined them during those early years, we have compiled a list of 25 persons who we are considering our "25 founders for 25 Years". I have sent invitations to Bob Tommey, Bill Snow, Sandy Higgins, Perry Fleming, Michelle Newton- Hansford, Don Knost, Susan Steen-Knost, Janet Ott, Jim Bracht, Bob Fasken, the heirs of Wendy Christensen, Elliott Hunter, Lowell Davis, Jerry Ellis, Dr.& Mrs. W.C. Dandridge, Robin Putnam and Irene Van Gilder. These are the founders we know addresses of. Others include Sam Butcher and Tom Simpson, who are both out of the country at this time, and Susan Humber who is deceased. Remaining are folks that I do not have current information on, or addresses for. In hopes of someone reading this knowing something of one of these, they are Chris Weber, Jennifer Morris, Shelia Buchallew and Joan Hudkins. Let me know if you have information about any of these four. We celebrate this group on Sunday afternoon, April 25th, at 2:00 with a reception honoring them, and the public is invited. That is also the first day of the unveiling of the "5X5 Art Auction" entries that we are currently receiving, and thus far the pieces that have come back are beautiful! I hope that you will make a point to come by either that Sunday afternoon, or one of the three weekends that follow, to place your bids on the numerous works that will be displayed until the evening of May 15th, when final bids will be taken and winners announced! Come and bid on a tiny work of art that you might get for a bargain!