Mo. Legislature passes budget

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (KRCU) - The Missouri legislature passed next year's budget which cuts higher education spending, but not as much as originally proposed by the governor.

Missouri lawmakers passed the $23 billion budget which includes a 5.4 percent cut to Missouri's colleges and universities.

Republican St. Louis County Senator Jim Lembke spoke out against areas of the budget where he saw increases in spending.

"Except in a very few like higher education, the bill that we will be going to next where they took a pretty heft cut on top of a cut that they took last year," Lembke said.

Lembke says it’s the legislators responsibility to be the fiscal stewards for Missourians.

The budget now goes to the governor.

Andrew Weil, Missouri Digital News

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Scweich says Division of Finance is obstructing investigation

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (KRCU) - Missouri's Auditor says the state's Division of Finance is obstructing his investigation into how they're examining banks.

Auditor Tom Schweich has sent subpoenas for bank examination documents to the Division of Finance.

Schweich says records will show whether the Division of Finance is following the right procedures when it's checking up on banks.

In a written statement, the Division said it's against the law to release those records.

But Schweich says his office is allowed to look at them.

"At one point they're saying they can't get us this performance audit, one point they're saying they can't give it to us because they'll go to jail, then they give some of it to us; I mean, what they're doing is obstructing our investigation, there's no other word for it," Schweich said.

Schweich says his office frequently works with confidential records and would enter into a confidentiality agreement.

Andrew Weil, Missouri Digital News

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Redistricting plan would split Jefferson County between 3 Congresspeople

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - As part of the House's redistricting proposal, Missourians in Jefferson County would be represented by three different members of Congress.

The Senate has failed to vote on the House's redistricting plan because of opposition by several Missouri Senators.

Most opposing Senators say the Republican Senate's plan is a better alternative than the Republican House's. But Democratic Jefferson County Senator Ryan McKenna says he opposes both plans.

"For my county to be the only county in the State now to have three congressmen and women is a hard pill for me to swallow," McKenna said.

Republican Senator Bill Stouffer says this is one time politics should be put aside.

"This map doesn't have a chance to go through this body," Stouffer said.

Senators must come to a decision by the end of the day Monday for the Governor to have to act on the plan before they adjourn for the year.

Andrew Weil, Missouri Digital News

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