House adopts supplemental budget with changes to capital and tobacco funding

The Missouri House on March 4 adopted and then agreed and finally passed the senate substitute for the supplemental budget, House Bill 2014.

Budget chairman (Representative from McDonald County) told members the substitute removes $14,800,000 intended for the capital commission and eliminates $150,000 previously included to promote Missouri at the DC fair. He said the substitute restores $600,000 to an agriculture fee fund and adds about $14,000,000 in general revenue to cover a tobacco settlement shortfall. He said roughly $1.5 billion of the bill’s approximately $3 billion package is for the Missouri Department of Transportation, reflecting the House’s position to fully fund MoDOT amid uncertain federal changes.

Members pressed a few clarifying points and the chairman said the changes were minimal and did not require a conference committee. The House adopted the senate substitute (vote tally: yeas 135, nays 14) and then voted to finally pass the measure (yeas 137, nays 13). The sponsor said the substitute retains previously voted items and highlighted disaster relief and rural health-care transformation funding in the bill.

With passage, the measure moves to the governor for signature or further action as allowed by law. The House made no additional amendments on the floor during the March 4 consideration.

Ending note: The House recorded the adoption vote and the final passage vote during the same floor session; the bill sponsor said members who wished to raise questions had time during floor debate and the bill reflects earlier committee and floor work.