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Senate appropriations panel says it approved school funding, aims to meet May 9 budget deadline
Summary
Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee members said the panel approved full funding for neighborhood schools, included pay increases for frontline workers and moves to address wait lists for support services as they prepare a FY2026 budget the Senate must finish by the constitutional deadline of May 9.
The Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a draft of the state operating budget for fiscal year 2026 and signaled the upper chamber must complete the measure within two weeks to meet the constitutional deadline of May 9.
Senator Rusty Black, vice chair of the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee, said the upper chamber faces a tight window to finish the budget. "The upper chamber will have to finish the fiscal year 2026 state operating budget within 2 weeks," Black said.
Senator Maggie Nirenberg of Kansas City, who also serves on the panel, told reporters she believes the committee's version is an improvement over what they received. "Our committee approved full funding of our neighborhood schools. We also included pay increases for our frontline workers and the necessary increases to ensure that we end the wait list for vital support services," Nirenberg said.
According to the senators' description of next steps, after the Missouri Senate creates its version of the budget, conference committees will be formed to resolve differences between chambers. The senators described a process in which the Missouri House of Representatives will then send its final version to the Missouri Senate for approval and ultimate delivery to the governor.
Fiscal year 2026 begins July 1. Reporting from the state capital, Dean Morgan.
