Missouri House committee approves $4 billion for state construction projects
House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, speaks during a Jan. 30 news conference with House Speaker Jon Patterson. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)
The Missouri House Budget Committee approved more than $4 billion in construction funding Thursday, including 45 new earmarked items for projects that include a county government maintenance shed and a capital city parking garage.
About half of the spending is reauthorization of projects approved in past years and funded mainly from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. As of March 31, the state had $1.3 billion remaining to be spent from the $2.9 billion originally received from the federal COVID-19 relief law.
Overall, the new items increased general revenue spending for construction projects by $76 million more in general revenue than requested by Gov. Mike Kehoe. Adding the three construction bills to the operating budget approved in the House last week brings total spending proposed in the lower chamber to $52 billion, about $1.7 billion less than Kehoe proposed in January.
The construction budget will be debated in the full House on Tuesday.
Deaton said he was comfortable with adding general revenue items despite a tax cut bill awaiting a final vote and ongoing uncertainty about federal budget cuts.
Current general revenue receipts are declining and a general revenue surplus built up to $5.7 billion two years ago is expected to be $2.5 billion at the end of June.
This may be the last year that lawmakers are able to tap the surplus for earmarked projects, committee Chairman Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, said to reporters after the meeting.
'We're still in a good position, but certainly those opportunities are diminishing,' he said. 'And if it's not next year, it'll be the year after that.'
Deaton's willingness to add dozens of small items for members is in contrast to his predecessor, former state Rep. Cody Smith. In past years, most earmarks were inserted during Senate consideration of the budget.
The change drew praise from the committee's ranking Democrat, state Rep. Betsy Fogle of Springfield.
'This has been the most collaborative and productive budget year that I've been a part of,' Fogle said.
The smallest item added to the construction list is $60,000 for a maintenance and equipment shed for Dallas County government. The largest is $20 million for a new Jefferson City parking garage that is part of a $130 million hotel and conference center.
To find money for the parking garage Deaton cut funding requested by Kehoe for renovations of the remaining structures of the Missouri State Penitentiary to support its use as a tourist attraction.
The original request of $52 million was pared down to $15 million, Deaton said, because members of the committee are willing to spend money to preserve the buildings but balk at major renovations or improvements on the property.
'If we were just to say, let's just tear all these buildings down, it would be more than $15 million, so just to try to help them keep what they have and stabilize that seemed appropriate to me,' Deaton said to reporters after the meeting.
The parking garage would replace a crumbling structure near the Governor's mansion and help relieve some of the problems finding parking in downtown Jefferson City, Deaton said. And adding it in the House makes friends in the Senate, he added.
'We've had talks with our colleagues on the other side of the building, and there's some members over there I know that are very passionate about it,' Deaton said.
Of the other earmarked items added Thursday, there are 15 health-related projects that include hospital and mental health facilities and seven infrastructure projects for roads, bridges and water. There's grants for library renovations in Newton and Barry counties and tourism projects to fund construction at the General Omar Bradley Memorial in Moberly, the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City and the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph.
Deaton didn't greenlight every request, said Republican state Rep. Wendy Hausman of St. Peters.
'We had to prove that it's beneficial throughout the state,' Hausman said.
The items that are funded are only a fraction of what he was asked to include, Deaton said.
'No matter what the resources we bring to bear, there's always more need than there is opportunities to meet those needs,' he said.
Democrats were treated fairly and saw some of their items funded, Fogle said.
'The chair has continued to show a willingness to work with minority members and get some of our investments in the budget,' she said. 'And today was a good day.'
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