House Budget takes $100 million from jobs program

Intro: The House Budget Committee stripped $100 million from job training so they could fund projects that would benefit their home districts.

Theo Keith has more from Jefferson City.

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The committee slowly chipped away at federal stimulus funds for the Missouri Jobs for the Future program, which Gov. Jay Nixon has advocated.

The money will go to Kansas City's transit system, a psychiatric center in St. Joseph, and four college campuses, but not the jobs program.

Nixon spokesperson Scott Holste didn't use the word "pork," but he did call them pet projects.

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Description: "At a time where we have a 25-year high in unemployment, the governor believes investing in job creation should take precedent over pet projects."

Committee Chairman Allen Icet says he never heard from Nixon on how the governor wanted to spend the money.

From the State Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro: The House Budget Committee approved a bill that would give $20 million to St. Louis transit system METRO to restore routes it cut in March.

Theo Keith has more from Jefferson City.

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The plan uses a piece of Missouri's federal budget stabilization funds, and would help METRO through a budget shortfall.

Transit system officials cut nine routes last month, leaving some St. Louisans without a ride to work.

The committee dipped into the METRO funds to help Springfield's transit system, but committee Chairman Allen Icet says the House will restore that money.

METRO's CEO said the funds will keep the system rolling through the next year.

Area voters will decide on a new public transit tax in 2010.

The committee also gave Kansas City's public transportation system $5 million to help keep its wheels from spinning.

From the State Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro: The vast majority of federal stimulus and budget stabilization funds overwhelmingly passed the House Budget Committee on Monday.

Theo Keith has more from Jefferson City.

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After six hours of debate and 66 amendments, the committee voted to pass four bills that will use most of the federal funds over the next two years.

Committee Chairman Allen Icet, a St. Louis County Republican, says he wanted to focus on creating jobs because funding opportunities like this are rare.

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Description: "I tried to do as many major, major projects as possible, knowing that this is the only chance we have to actually do something like this."

To fund several construction projects, Icet's committee voted to strip all $100 million from a job training program.

Lawmakers have until May 8 to get appropriations bills to the governor's desk.

From the State Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro: Gov. Jay Nixon and the House Budget Committee didn't agree on how to spend $100 million of federal budget stabilization funds, but they'll have to settle their differences another day.

Theo Keith has more from Jefferson City.

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The committee wiped out $100 million for a job training program, and members proposed amendments to fund projects in their own districts.

Nixon spokesperson Scott Holste calls them pet projects, and says the committee should have focused on creating jobs.

Committee Chairman Allen Icet, a St. Louis County Republican, didn't agree with Holste's criticism.

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Description: "Generally speaking, we've done a lot of very good things using that economic stimulus to try to put people to work and try to do smart things with that money."

Icet says the committee funded construction and maintenance and repair projects, while freeing up funds to pay off future debt.

Holste says Nixon will continue the fight.

From the State Capitol, I'm Theo Keith, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.