Missouri Legislature Passes $35.2 Billion State Budget

(Jefferson City) The Missouri Legislature has passed a 35.2 billion dollar state operating budget.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith of Carthage says the state is trying to work on reducing its debt owed to counties and hopes the system used can be changed.

Missouri could be the only state in the nation that repays counties a portion of the local costs of housing and transporting offenders who end up going to state prison.

The new state budget also includes 3.5 billion dollars in base funding for Missouri’s K through 12 public schools, that’s the same level as this current budget year.

Lawmakers put 50-million dollars into a transportation program that matches up to 50-percent of the construction contract costs for selected public and private projects.

Once the governor signs this new budget plan, it will become official.