Missouri Senate Appropriations committee outlines FY2026 budget priorities as May 9 deadline looms

Senator Rusty Black of Chillicothe, vice chair of the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee, said the upper chamber must finish its fiscal year 2026 state operating budget within two weeks to meet the constitutional deadline of May 9.

Senator Maggie Nirenberg of Kansas City, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said the committee approved priorities that include full funding for neighborhood schools, pay increases for frontline workers and “the necessary increases to ensure that we end the wait list for vital support services.”

The committee’s timeline signals an expedited process in the coming weeks. According to committee remarks reported from the state capital, after the Missouri Senate creates its version of the budget, conference committees will be formed to reconcile differences and the Missouri House of Representatives will then send its final version to the Missouri Senate for approval before the budget is delivered to the governor. Fiscal year 2026 begins July 1.

The committee statements did not include vote tallies, specific dollar amounts, or a full line-item breakdown. Senators and the report noted the plan’s broad priorities but did not provide the final totals or the dates of any floor votes. The transcript did not specify which items, if any, require additional funding sources or approval from other state bodies.

Reporting from the state capital, Dean Morgan.