Missouri's Legislature Passed the Budget for Fiscal Year 2011
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Missouri's Legislature Passed the Budget for Fiscal Year 2011

Date: April 29, 2010
By: Nick Berry
State Capitol Bureau
Links: HB 2011; HB 2012; HB 2013

Intro:  Missouri's legislature approved a 500 million dollar cut in the governor's plan for next year's state budget.
RunTime:  0:34
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: One bill cut funding to social services.

St. Louis County Republican Senator Jim Lembke said the appropriations committee had to work around monetary handcuffs in order to cut spending.  

Actuality:  LEMBKE1.WAV
Run Time:  00:12
Description: "The choices that the appropriations committee had in relation to where do we make the cut, as the Senator from Cape says, 'You have to go where the money is and where your hands aren't tied.'"

But others argued that because the legislature couldn't cut from Medicare and Medicaid, Teachers as Parents and similar programs lost funding instead.

From the State Capitol, I'm Nick Berry.

Intro:  Missouri's legislature passed next year's budget a week before its scheduled deadline.
RunTime:  0:44
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The budget reduced next year's spending recommendations of the governor by almost one-half a billion dollars by cutting funding to programs and departments.

Among the programs to be cut were the Parents as Teachers Program.

House Speaker Pro Tem Republican Bryan Pratt said that the budget is able to protect the taxpayer.

Actuality:  PRATT5.WAV
Run Time:  00:06
Description: "Despite the withering criticsm of democrats on that side of the aisle, we're not going to pass a budget that includes a single tax increase."

But on the other side, the House Democratic leader, Paul LeVota, argued that the legislature's refusal to consider reducing tax credits was the reason Missouri can no longer pay for the programs that were cut.

LeVota stated that the 60 state tax credit programs cost Missouri 600 million dollars.

From the State Capitol, I'm Nick Berry.