On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, state Rep. Betsy Fogle criticized House Republicans for not fully funding the state’s foundation formula — and allocating $50 million to help shore up a program that gives out scholarships to private schools. The budget is now being debated in the Senate.
The Springfield Democrat was first elected to the Missouri House in 2020 and is the ranking Democratic member of the Budget Committee.
Here’s what else Fogle talked about on the program:
- How legislators are now dealing with a less robust financial environment for the state than in years past, primarily because the federal government is no longer sending large amounts of money to help states like Missouri balance their budgets.
- Concerns both GOP and Democratic legislators have over potentially changing the federal match for states like Missouri that expanded Medicaid.
- The GOP’s drive to cut taxes, which she says may be misplaced when the state is entering a perilous financial time.
Fogle is a Springfield native who worked in public health before running for the House in 2020. She was the only candidate that year of either party to flip a state legislative seat.
Fogle won reelection in 2022 and 2024 by relatively comfortable margins. She joins two other Democratic representatives — Jeremy Dean and Stephanie Hein — from Springfield districts, a sign that the city is more competitive politically.
