Senate committee approves bond proposal measure

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Intro:	A Missouri Senate committee has approved a nearly one billion dollar bond issue after higher education institutions have sent in wish lists with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of capital needs.
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Wrap: Higher education officials are asking the General Assembly to help them better serve students with a bond issue, especially those working toward degrees in science and technology fields.

Wally Pfeffer, a Mizzou spokesman, says it's time to address projects like MU's College of Engineering, which was built in 1892.

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Description: "We can't generate enough revenue through tuition or private donations or grants to do everything that needs to be done. The state has been un-able to address capital improvement needs from general revenue for over a decade."

The University of Missouri system says it has 1.3 billion dollars worth of needed repairs, but listed 190 million dollars worth of top-priority projects for lawmakers.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Nick Thompson.

Intro:	A Missouri Senate committee approved a bonding proposal which may make some improvements to a park system that brings in millions of visitors and generates nearly a billion dollars worth of economic activity each year.
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Wrap: The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is asking the Senate to direct ten percent of the funds from a nearly one billion dollar bond issue to Missouri's State Parks.

Sarah Parker-Polly, the DNR director, says the funds would strengthen the 87 park system for years to come.

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Description: "These projects mean jobs that will benefit communities throughout Missouri. Local construction companies and other businesses will see a direct impact from making an investment in our state parks."

Parker-Polly says the park system has 400 million dollars worth of capital needs.

The department wants to make 50 million dollars worth of repairs to the Katy Trail and 100 million dollars worth to lodging facilities.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Nick Thompson.

Intro:	A Missouri Senate committe has approved a nearly one billion dollar bond issue after Mental Health officials called for repairs at the oldest facility of its kind west of the Mississippi River.
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Wrap: Officials at the Fulton State Hospital are looking to the one billion dollar bonding proposal to fund a 211 million dollar makeover of the facility.

Hospital official Mark Stringer says the state's only high-security and medium-security psychiatric wards need a lot of work.

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Description: "We have a lot of staff and patient injuries there, in part because of the type of people that we serve, but also because of the facility itself."

The facility is Callaway County's largest employer but was also responsible for over 3.4 million dollars worth of worker's compensation claims last year.

Officials say a new facility would be safer and can save future repair and maintenance costs.

Reporting from the state capitol, I'm Nick Thompson.