The House and Senate have reached final agreement on a fiscally responsible state spending plan that provides record funding for K-12 education, makes major investments in the state’s infrastructure, provides strong support for law enforcement and public safety, and boosts funding for state programs that serve the state’s most vulnerable citizens. Ahead of the constitutional deadline, lawmakers gave bipartisan support to the various budget bills that make up the Fiscal Year 2024 state operating budget.

The budget as it left the House in March appropriated approximately $45.6 billion. The Senate then added several additional spending items to bring the total price tag of the plan to roughly $49.9 billion. The final version approved by the two chambers cuts the Senate total by more than $1 billion to bring the total funding allocated in the budget to nearly $48.8 billion.

Record Funding for K-12 Schools

Included in the budget is more than $9.8 billion in funding for K-12 public schools in Missouri. That total includes $3.6 billion to provide full funding for the school foundation formula, which determines funding levels for public schools across the state. The funding for public education also includes an additional $233 million to provide a total of $347 million to fully fund school transportation for the second time in as many years. The House and Senate also agreed to provide an additional $29 million to raise the minimum public school teacher salary to $38,000 annually. Additionally, the two chambers agreed to allocate $50 million in funding for Close the Gap grants that will help Missouri families address the learning loss that occurred as a result of the pandemic.

Increased Support for Higher Education

Lawmakers also expressed their ongoing support for higher education with their funding decisions in the budget. The finalized version of the spending plan allocates more than $1.4 billion for higher education and workforce development. Included in that figure is a 7% funding increase for the state’s public colleges and universities. The FY 2024 budget also includes full funding for the state’s scholarship programs such as Bright Flight, Access Missouri, and the A+ Scholarship Program. Legislators also approved $38.3 million for MoExcels workforce development projects on college campuses.

Funding Increases for I-70 Expansion and Infrastructure Improvements

The House and Senate also addressed one of the major spending items requested by Governor Mike Parson, who had originally called for the legislature to spend $859 million to expand Interstate 70 to six lanes in several areas between Kansas City and St. Louis. The final version of the budget expands that proposal to provide sufficient funding to widen Interstate-70 to at least three lanes in both directions from Blue Springs near Kansas City to Wentzville near St. Louis. The budget plan checks in with $2.8 billion in funding for the project, which includes $1.4 billion in general revenue and $1.4 billion from bonds.

The House Budget Committee Chairman said, “This represents the single greatest investment into our transportation network in the state’s history.”

Lawmakers also included $25 million for environmental studies for Interstate 44 and U.S. Route 63, and $50 million for safety improvements at railroad crossings.

Strong Support for Law Enforcement and Public Safety

Another point of emphasis in the spending plan is support for law enforcement and public safety. The budget provides a 20% pay increase for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Capitol Police. It also includes $50 million for school safety grants for Missouri schools to make physical security investments on their campuses, develop safety plans, establish school resource officer programs, and increase active threat trainings. Additionally, the budget provides $2 million to the Missouri National Guard to assist with recruitment.

Improved Care for Missouri’s Vulnerable Population

House and Senate members also approved several spending items that will improve health care outcomes and improve services for some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. The budget includes $300 million to build a new mental health hospital in Kansas City. Lawmakers also approved $171 million to boost pay for workers who provide residential and other support services to Missourians with developmental disabilities. The funding increase will bring their base pay to approximately $16 an hour. The budget also provides a $33.3 million funding increase for the state’s Children’s Division, which manages the state’s foster care system and investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect. The additional dollars will boost staffing levels by 134 employees.

The bills that make up the budget now head to the governor’s desk for his consideration. Gov. Parson has the option to sign the bills into law or to use his authority to issue line item vetoes to reject certain spending items in the budget.