Doug Richey

The Senate’s plan to go beyond the $860 million initially proposed to expand Interstate 70 remained in the budget agreed to by a Senate-House conference committee Wednesday night. Other Senate positions that remained were state funding for public libraries and the elimination of anti-DEI language in the budget.

Senate Appropriations Chair Lincoln Hough said after speaking with departments, businesses and vendors, he recommended removing the anti-diversity, equity and inclusion language. The committee still must pass the budget bills before they can make it to the Senate floor.

Instead of speaking on the billions of dollars within the Missouri budget, House Democrats repeatedly spoke out against language added to each bill that prohibits spending on anything associated with diversity, equity and inclusion. That language is expected to be stripped out in the Senate.

The budget is less than Gov. Mike Parson’s initial proposal. However, Democrats and Republicans repeatedly clashed.

The elections bill was just one piece of legislation Parson signed into law on Wednesday. Others included funding charter schools, bills related to utilities and another barring homeless people from sleeping on state-owned land.

A previous version of the legislation would have taken money away from public school districts to make up for a disparity in funding for public charter schools. Now, the state would handle that responsibility.

Unlike the House version, the Senate substitute uses state money to fund charter schools. The bill now goes back to the House, where it would need to pass to reach the governor.

The bill lists provisions regarding transparency in schools, curriculum and other matters, though some of the listed rights are already allowed under state law.

Despite passing a more than $46.5 billion budget, the House left about $1.8 billion in general revenue unspent. Senate leaders have indicated they plan to spend at least some of that leftover money.

State agencies were allowed to make emergency purchases over $50,000 during COVID-19 pandemic without following the normal process.