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Missouri senators set budget timeline and cite Proposition A as legislative priority
Summary
Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Rusty Black said the state operating budget originates in the Missouri House and the Senate could begin FY2026 markup April 22; Senator Tracy McCreery said preserving November's Proposition A votes, which would provide paid sick leave and a phased minimum wage increase, is a priority.
Crafting the state's operating budget is the legislature's only constitutional mandate, Senator Rusty Black, vice chair of the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee, said, and the Senate will begin its markup after the Missouri House completes third reading and sends its version over.
Black said the Missouri House of Representatives starts the state spending plan and, once it finishes third reading, "the Appropriations Committee will begin our process of markup and craft our version of the state's budget." He told reporters the Missouri Senate could take up the fiscal year 2026 state operating budget as soon as April 22.
Senator Tracy McCreery of Saint Louis County said one of her priorities is to protect votes cast in the Nov. election related to Proposition A. McCreery said the measure "was a bill that was overwhelmingly approved in the state of Missouri that would allow for paid sick leave and also would gradually increase the state's minimum wage."
By law, Black noted, the budget must be delivered to the executive branch no later than 6 p.m. on Friday, May 9. The timeline Black described places the Senate's internal markup in April if the House completes its actions on schedule.
No formal votes or amendments on the FY2026 operating budget or on Proposition A implementation appeared in the remarks included in the transcript. Lawmakers' comments in the excerpt were limited to process and priorities; details on specific budget amounts, department allocations, or statutory changes related to implementing Proposition A were not specified in the transcript.
Reporting from the state capital, Dean Morgan.
