In this issue, I focus on the governor’s proposed budget.

Governor’s State of the State address

On Jan. 21 the governor gave his State of the State address. He also released his executive budget for next fiscal year. You can find more information about the governor’s address on the governor’s website and about the governor’s executive budget on the Office of Administration Division of Budget and Planning website. Highlights include:

• The governor included capital appropriations of revenue bond proceeds in his supplemental budget. These appropriations include four maintenance and repair projects at Missouri State totaling approximately $19 million: Ellis Hall, Missouri Hall, Hill Hall and life safety improvements on the West Plains campus.
• The governor included an increase of 1.3 percent to operating appropriations for public higher education.

These highlights make clear that we are off and running on our legislative priorities for 2015. We appreciate the governor’s support for Missouri State’s capital projects. We also appreciate the governor’s willingness to include an operating appropriation increase for higher education.

We will use the governor’s executive budget as a starting point to articulate to our elected officials the need for a larger increase to our operating appropriation, the need to release withheld appropriations and the need to keep the $1,325,000 appropriation for our health initiative programs in the budget.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!