In case you’ve been wondering … the General Assembly convenes at the State Capitol in Jefferson City annually on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January. It can adjourn no later than May 30, with no consideration of bills after 6 p.m. on the first Friday following the second Monday in May.

So, for 2023, the session began on January 4 and will adjourn at 6 p.m. on May 12. The budget bills must be completed by May 5.

The processes of the Missouri General Assembly can many times seem arcane, but I can tell you that those who need to understand the appropriations process know it inside and out.

It starts with the governor, as you can see below, then it moves through the House. Next, the House hands off to the Senate. The House and the Senate then negotiate the final budget that is sent to the governor to sign. The governor may veto a bill in total, veto line items or allow the bill to pass.

Important things to note

As highlighted above, the budget currently resides in the Senate. Here’s an update on some of the critical pieces.

The House budget continues to include a 7% increase for higher education. However, 5% will be directly allocated and 2% is to be allocated using performance metrics currently being developed. This complicates how we would execute a monthly draw down on those funds so we can pay our bills. We’re working with our friends on the Senate Budget Committee to address this complication.

The bicameral General Assembly comprises a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. Of the 34-members of the Senate, the three members who represent the southwest region of Missouri serve on the 14-member Senate appropriations committee.

They include: Chair Lincoln Hough-30th, Karla Eslinger-33rd and Sandy Crawford-28th, all of whom have credentials from Missouri State University. They have been supportive of the university during this process and in the past.

As a point of reference, state appropriations account for about one-third of the Missouri State $300 million operating budget.

Additionally, the budget as it stands right now continues to include funding for our MoExcels project and the $35 million in capital for science building renovations.

Budget-wise, we think we are in good shape as things stand today. We’ll continue to keep you updated as the budget legislation continues to move through the process.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif