House Approves Fiscal Year 2018 Spending Plan
House members discussed and debated the Fiscal Year 2018 state operating budget for several hours on both Tuesday and Thursday this week before giving final approval to the $27.7 billion spending plan and sending it to the Senate. The House version of the budget includes record levels of funding for public K-12 education; fully funding the school foundation formula for the first time. It also restores a proposed cut to school transportation funding, and adds additional dollars to higher education above what was recommended by the governor. The plan approved by the House also restores a cut proposed by the governor that would have impacted 20,000 seniors and disabled Missourians who currently qualify for state-funded in-home care and nursing home services.