By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri lawmakers have returned to the state Capitol in
Jefferson City, a Capitol which is much quieter than usual due to COVID-19 restrictions.Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville says lawmakers need to meet
to authorize Governor Mike Parson to shift $180 million in withholdings to the
fight against the coronavirus.“So, the governor needs authorization from the legislature in
order to move that money and spend it elsewhere,” Luetkemeyer tells St. Joseph
Post.Also, Missouri expects to receive roughly $2.2 billion in
federal money from the emergency relief package passed by Congress.“In order for the governor to spend that money it must first
be appropriated by the legislature and so that’s why it’s so important and so
critical that we got in here fast is because the governor doesn’t have
authority absent action of the legislature to actually spend this money,” Luetkemeyer
says.Luetkemeyer says the legislature needs to act quickly on the $5.8
billion supplemental budget, so Missouri can afford critical medical needs in
the fight against COVID-19.The $180 million in withholdings has created financial
uncertainty for many state agencies and hits Missouri colleges and universities
particularly hard.Luetkemeyer, though, expects federal help to offset much of
the withheld funds.“Like most Missouri families, we’re going to have to tighten
our belts here at the state level, because unlike the feds, we don’t, we can’t,
deficit spend, which is a good thing,” Luetkemeyer says. “But we’re going to
have to make some tough budgetary decisions. But I do believe in a short term
that a lot of the withholds that we saw from the governor are going to be
backfilled with a lot of the federal dollars that are going to be coming in.”Luetkemeyer says Missouri needs the help Congress is providing
through the COVID-19 relief package.“So, if you look at some of the largest line items in Missouri’s
budget, you’re talking about primary education, you’re talking about higher
education, you’re talking about funding for Medicaid,” Luetkemeyer says. “Already
we’re starting to see large sums of money coming from the federal government to
help in some of those critical areas with the state’s budget.”Luetkemeyer says the state expects about $1 billion in federal
money to pay for the eventual re-opening of public schools, as well as $350 million
for the state’s colleges and another $350 million for the Missouri Medicaid
program.It is almost an eerie atmosphere at the Capitol in Jefferson
City.Few staff members are in attendance. The public has been
discouraged from coming to the Capitol for debate and, instead, is being
encouraged to watch debate which is being screened on the legislature’s <a href="https://www.mo.gov/government/legislative-branch/">webpage</a>.
Senators will vote in blocks of six to maintain social distancing.Any one entering the Capitol is being checked for symptoms of
COVID-19.

Missouri lawmakers return to Capitol to consider COVID-19 funding