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2004 Revenue Stories

• 12/ 6/2004: Newspaper Story - A spokesman for Governor-elect Matt Blunt said recent reports criticizing the management of Missouri's Medicaid system show that a reorganization of the program needs to be seriously considered. Inadequate computer systems, poor organization and mistakes by staffers have allowed taxpayer dollars to be misspent, according to two reports issued by the Committee on Legislative Research on Monday.
• 12/ 1/2004: Newspaper Story - Blunt appoints Senate Administrator Michael Keathley as commissioner of the Office of Administration and Deputy Secretary of State Dan Ross as chief information officer. The two will work to consolidate state government's information technology systems and services.
• 11/30/2004: Newspaper Story - Safety and smoothness rather than extended capacity for Missouri's roadways is how MoDot plans to spend its increased revenue from the passage of Amendment 3.
• 11/23/2004: Newspaper Story - Governor-elect Blunt announces appointments to the Department of Revenue, the Public Service Commission and his gubernatorial staff.
• 11/16/2004: Radio Story - The Joint Committe on Hazardous Waste met today to discuss options for funding the program.
• 11/15/2004: Newspaper Story - While the Blunt team remains committed to its campaign promises of cutting out waste and fraud first, the governor-elect's spokesman said he cannot rule out the possibility of future Medicaid cuts.
• 11/10/2004: Newspaper Story - MoDot said it will use new revenue from Amendment 3 to improve 2,200 miles of highway.
• 11/10/2004: Newspaper Story - Governor-elect Matt Blunt announced that Missouri Senate Administrator Michael Keathley is the budget adviser for his transition team.
• 9/30/2004: Radio Story - Rising fuel costs have the Missouri Department of Transportation strapped for cash when it comes to maintaining roads.
• 9/28/2004: Radio Story - If gas prices continue to rise, Missourians might see less patrolmen on the road.
• 9/28/2004: Radio Story - The Missouri Energy Center has been busy helping people save money while the cost of gas remains high.
• 9/14/2004: Radio Story - Supporters say Amendment three will increase funding for Missouri Department of Transportation. Opponents say the initiative will make an already tight budget more strained.
• 9/ 3/2004: Newspaper Story - As many unemployed Missourians are collecting assistance from the state as they seek new jobs, they're putting the state into a debt.
• 9/ 2/2004: Radio Story - A follow-up audit clears the State Lottery Commission of wasting state money.
• 9/ 1/2004: Newspaper Story - Gov. Holden unsure of whether convening a special session this month is necessary.
• 8/31/2004: Radio Story - Since 2003 Missouri borrowed nearly $300 million from the federal government for unemployment compensation.
• 8/30/2004: Radio Story - Missouri's lieutenant governor calls for a special legislative session to deal with the state's bankrupt Unemployment Compensation Fund.
• 7/29/2004: Radio Story - The Missouri State Parks Reservation Center is run by a South Dakota firm. The center employs about 20 South Dakotans to reserve camp sites for Missouri State Parks.
• 7/ 8/2004: Radio Story - Governor Holden signed almost 180 bills, but only 31 were signed in public. Senate President Pro Temp Peter Kinder says that number is very low compared to past years.
• 7/ 1/2004: Radio Story - The federal government warns Missouri and the other 49 states that they must spend 2002 education grant money or lose it.
• 6/29/2004: Radio Story - Governor Holden's campaign accuses gubernatorial opponent Claire McCaskill of illegally receiving donations from her husband. But Holden has not officially filed a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
• 5/13/2004: Radio Story - The Governor's jobs now program would be funded by tax credits instead of a $150 million bond.
• 5/13/2004: Radio Story - The sponsor of the proposed bond bill says it's likely dead.
• 5/10/2004: Radio Story - The governor's economic development proposal known as the Jobs Now Initiative stalled in the Senate as lawmakers offered amendment after amendment.
• 5/ 6/2004: Radio Story - A new audit suggests the state could've gotten $3.5 million in federal grants if only the state had applied for the money.
• 5/ 6/2004: Radio Story - Lawmakers approved a budget that removes a smaller number of people from Medicaid than the 30,000 that would've lost coverage under a House proposal.
• 5/ 5/2004: Radio Story - Despite an improving state economy that enabled lawmakers to increase education funding, the governor's spokeswoman says Bob Holden still wants lawmakers to approve higher taxes on big business and cigarettes.
• 5/ 5/2004: Newspaper Story - The state economy is improving and legislators have passed an increased education budget, but the governor's spokeswoman said he still backs his plan for a half billion dollar tax increase.
• 5/ 5/2004: Radio Story - Higher education budget to bring $20 million more to state's colleges and universities.
• 5/ 5/2004: Newspaper Story - Missouri's departments of Economic Development and Revenue released a report Wednesday showing the state's economy is doing better than the majority of other states.
• 5/ 5/2004: Radio Story - The Governor's proposed budget for fiscal year 2005 relies on tax increases for big business and cigarettes. But, impoving economic conditions may make these taxes unnecessary.
• 5/ 4/2004: Radio Story - It appears as though legislation designed to reduce the number of people on Medicaid is nearly dead.
• 5/ 4/2004: Radio Story - Republican leadership abandoned the bill after Senator Ken Jacob filibustered it on the Senate floor.
• 5/ 4/2004: Radio Story - The Senate passed a bill Tuesday that stops students expelled for violent behavior from affecting the school's annual drop out rate.
• 5/ 4/2004: Radio Story - The legislature sent the governor budget proposals that include spending increases for lower and higher education and don't rely on a tax increase to fund the increases.
• 5/ 4/2004: Newspaper Story - The legislature passed lower and higher education budgets and continued working on the budget.
• 5/ 4/2004: Radio Story - The Senate passed a bill tuesday that charges convicted felons a surcharge on all felony court proceedings.
• 5/ 3/2004: Radio Story - A committee of lawmakers will decide if highway patrol officers get a salary adjustment phased in over five years.
• 4/29/2004: Radio Story - A new bill being pushed through the Senate would require water companies to give warning before turning off services for late sewer bills.
• 4/28/2004: Radio Story - By a voice vote, the Senate gave preliminary approval to legislation that would put the state in debt to pay for new buildings and reonvations on university and college campuses.
• 4/28/2004: Radio Story - Legislators from the House and Senate met in a conference committee to reconcile their different versions of the state budget. One major compromise involves giving more money to higher education.
• 4/20/2004: Radio Story - A few democratic senators engaged in extended debate on the bill that funds public schools.
• 4/20/2004: Radio Story - Blunt wants to repeal Missouri franchise tax on businesses
• 4/19/2004: Radio Story - Senators debate the merits of a proposal that would put the state $350 million in debt to pay for building projects on university campuses.
• 4/19/2004: Newspaper Story - Senators delayed a vote on the $350 million higher education bond bill with arguments over its scope and the use of limited state funds.
• 4/15/2004: Newspaper Story - Missouri still lags behind other states in repairing its difficult budget situation, but all states are looking toward full recovery, even if it's a long time coming.
• 4/14/2004: Radio Story - The senate debates a bill that's designed to create new jobs by ending some tax credit programs and shifting the money to public construction projects.
• 4/14/2004: Newspaper Story - The Senate Appropriations Committee added $20 million to the higher education budget while cutting $13 million from general revenue for elementary and secondary education.
• 4/14/2004: Radio Story - State Auditor Claire McCaskill criticized Governor Bob Holden for waiting too long to release money he'd withheld from public schools.
• 4/13/2004: Radio Story - The plan would give tax credits to donors to a scholarship plan that lets poor kids attend private schools.
• 4/13/2004: Radio Story - The bill, sponsored by Represenatative Larry Crawford would give counties the power to use fees for permits towards related expenses. It comes as the Missouri Supreme Court rules the current law's funding violates the Hancock Amendment in the state Constitution.
• 4/ 7/2004: Newspaper Story - The House passed an $18.6 billion budget Wednesday that provides a bigger increase for educatin than the governor reccomended -- without tax increases. The budget was passed on the same day that the Revenue Department released numbers showing that state revenue collections are up significantly.
• 4/ 7/2004: Newspaper Story - Revenue collections through March exceeded expectations of the House Budget Committee chairman.
• 4/ 6/2004: Newspaper Story - April 15 will be an especially key date for a House budget plan currently under consideration. Earlier in the year, the House, Senate, and Gov. Bob Holden agreed the state should expect about $6.4 billion in revenue, but the new House budget plan utilizes about $7 billion in revenue. But that difference won't be known until the mid-April deadline, said State Budget Director Linda Luebbering. She did not rule out the Republican figures outright, saying there was not enough information at this
• 4/ 6/2004: Radio Story - The House voted down an amendment subtracting $2 million from funds set side to repay bind money at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
• 4/ 6/2004: Radio Story - Crowell says UM's higher budget and increased reliance on tuition and fees made student tuitions rise.
• 4/ 5/2004: Newspaper Story - With over one hundred school districts asking their residents to approve increased taxation Tuesday, the public school funding debate could be significantly altered.
• 4/ 5/2004: Newspaper Story - The House Budget Committee passed a budget Monday of almost $18.5 million. The budget rejects the governor's proposals and contains few substantial changes from the fiscal year 2004 budget.
• 4/ 1/2004: Radio Story - Under the bill, unspecified medicaid programs, which currently expand to fund all who are eligible, would have set budgets. Advocates say the change is needed to keep medicaid going.
• 3/31/2004: Newspaper Story - The House Budget Committee directed highway funds from the state treasurer's office and the Natural Resources Department to MODOT.
• 3/29/2004: Radio Story - The Senate Appropiations Committee passed legeslation to expand life sciences across the state. The bills cost an estimated three hundred and 50-dollars and will help finance construction projects across the state.
• 3/29/2004: Newspaper Story - A multi-hundred million dollar bond bill to fund construction of scientific research-related buildings throughout the state was almost doubled in size Monday night by the Senate Appropriation Committee, which approved the bond issue.
• 3/18/2004: Radio Story - The Missouri legislature left for spring break without finishing the budget. The budget has been in the House since the session started in January and is expected to stay there until April.
• 3/17/2004: Newspaper Story - Gov. Bob Holden's plan to send excess sales tax to the state instead of businesses is dying in a committee -- and leaving Missouri businesses with millions of dollars in extra taxes paid by consumers.
• 3/16/2004: Radio Story - Inaugural funds will be held to the same disclosure level as campaign contributions.
• 3/15/2004: Newspaper Story - Rep. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, resigned from the House Budget Committee and was replaced by Rep. Theodore Hoskins, D-St. Louis County.
• 3/15/2004: Newspaper Story - When the two budget leaders in Missouri's Senate first came to the legislature decades ago, they were far apart -- both geographically and philosphically. Now, the two longest-serving members of Missouri legislature are heralded by colleagues and lobbyists as models for bi-partisan cooperation -- as well as targets of private criticism within their own parties. But after this year, term limits will drive out Republican John Russell and Democrat Wayne Goode.
• 3/15/2004: Newspaper Story - An info box on the two senior members of Missouri's Senate.
• 3/10/2004: Radio Story - A proposed constitutional amendment would limit how much lawmakers can spend in the budgeting process.
• 3/10/2004: Newspaper Story - The House Budget Committee is considering a resolution that would amend the state constitution to restrict the amount of general revenue money the legislature could appropriate each budget year.
• 3/ 9/2004: Radio Story - Another Republican has joined the group of GOP senators that support raising taxes to fund public schools.
• 3/ 8/2004: Newspaper Story - State revenue collections were higher than House Republican leadership expected as teh Revenue Department released February numbers.
• 3/ 8/2004: Radio Story - A report says Missouri general revenue collections are up 7.8 percent. House Budget Committee Chair Carl Bearden says it is a sign the state's economy is becoming strong.
• 3/ 3/2004: Radio Story - Some lawmakers are concerned with budget problems the credit causes.
• 3/ 3/2004: Radio Story - Members of both chambers handed out awards to preservationists in the Capitol rotunda.
• 3/ 3/2004: Radio Story - Recipients of the awards express the importance of the state's historic tax credit.
• 3/ 3/2004: Newspaper Story - Missouri businesses currently receive a discount for filing and paying their employees' withheld state income tax on time.
• 3/ 2/2004: Radio Story - A statewide survey reports more than 100 Missouri school districts plan to ask more money on April's ballot. Missouri's education commissioner says they need the money to cover state budget cuts in excess of 100-million dollars.
• 3/ 1/2004: Newspaper Story - Stashed away in a school district's annual budget is a fund that, ideally, should never be touched.That fund, known as a district's "reserves," is designed to help a public school district survive a year, maybe two or three, of financial difficulty.
• 2/26/2004: Radio Story - State legislators want to lower the default speed limits in certain rural counties of Missouri from 60 mph to 50 mph.
• 2/26/2004: Radio Story - State legislators withdrew an amendment Thursday after being unable to agree on whether or not cell phone companies should be mandated to charge a 911 Emergecy tax or to consider it a cost of business.
• 2/24/2004: Radio Story - Though some state legislators are proposing legislation to authorize toll roads, Sen. Jon Dolan, among other lawmakers, sees no need for them.
• 2/24/2004: Radio Story - The Missouri Senat gave final approval to a tax credit accountability bill that aims to reduce tax fraud.
• 2/24/2004: Radio Story - Sen. Jon Dolan of St. Charles County wants to stop spending highway dollars on general state business. Dolan says the spending of highway dollars should be limited to highway expenses.
• 2/23/2004: Radio Story - A proposal to make it easier to get tax credit when saving for college is under Democratic scrutiny. Right now, only one mutual fund broker can offer tax credit, but the proposed bill would expand the credit to local banks and broker firms. House Democrat Ken Jacobs says the program was intended for low-income families, and expanding it would cost the state too much.
• 2/17/2004: Newspaper Story - Monday's rally for more public school money was met Tuesday by a House appropriations bill that would effectively hold steady state aid distribution to public schools.
• 2/16/2004: Radio Story - Governor Bob Holden told state superintendents he still won't release withheld money for public education.
• 2/13/2004: Newspaper Story - A House bill would exempt vehicles made in Missouri from state sales tax. Individual cities could decide to exempt Missouri-made vehicles from local sales tax as well. The bill's supporters said this would likely increase sales of Missouri-made vehicles and encourage other manufacturers to open plants in the state.
• 2/10/2004: Radio Story - Plan would charge more for filing lawsuits and accessing public documents.
• 2/10/2004: Radio Story - Amtrak's request for almost $900,000 dies in a House Committee hearing. A spokesperson says the company's optimistic that an agreement will be reached. State Transportation officials say, however, that they may have to cut one of the two trains by the end of the month if they don't get the money.
• 2/10/2004: Radio Story - The House Budget Committee rejects appropriating money to keep two Amtrak trains running through Missouri.
• 2/ 9/2004: Radio Story - The Missouri Senate plans to hear a bill for the second time today that will allow people to keep more property when they declare bankruptcy. The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Charlie Shields, will exempt personal property like wedding rings that are worth less than $1,500.
• 2/ 9/2004: Newspaper Story - Another month of unexpectedly high revenue collections leads to another round of Republican criticism that Gov. Bob Holden should release education withholdings.
• 1/28/2004: Newspaper Story - More money topped the list of recommendations Missouri's Transportation Department director presented to a joint session of Missouri's legislature Wednesday.
• 1/28/2004: Newspaper Story - Some Senate Republicans have expressed support for revenue increases to help balance the budget. Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Jackson County, introduced bills that would increase gambling boat admission fees and court fees with the proceeds earmarked for education.
• 1/21/2004: Newspaper Story - Partisan rancor marked Gov. Bob Holden's State of the State Address Wednesday, as his education, job, and revenue plans all fell under heavy assualt from Republican leadership. The program he announced was essentially the same as the program he put forth last year, with a continued emphasis on a tax increase to help fund Missouri's public schools.
• 1/21/2004: Newspaper Story - Two issues deemed integral to the Columbia area by local legislators - restoring education funding and promoting life sciences -- topped the list of priorities in Gov. Bob Holden's state of the state address.
• 1/21/2004: Newspaper Story - Tax increases the legislature rejected last year were proposed again by Gov. Bob Holden in his State of the State address Wednesday. The governor's proposed revenue increases, totaling $689 million per year, are similar to his package of last year that failed in the legislature including increases in taxes on corporations, gambling and tobacco.
• 1/12/2004: Radio Story - The Joint Committee on Tax Policy says improved oversight and reporting will help find out which programs work and which don't
• 1/ 6/2004: Newspaper Story - Missouri legislators predict politics and budgets will dominate the legislative session that begins Wednesday.
• 1/ 6/2004: Newspaper Story - On the eve of Missouri's 2004 legislative session, legislative leaders and the governor's office still were in dispute about how much money the state will have to spend.
• 1/ 6/2004: Newspaper Story - Nearly half of Missouri's school districts file suit against the state's system for funding local schools.