Thursday, May 10, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Praises State Budget’s Commitments to Education, Good Fiscal Stewardship
JEFFERSON CITY– Gov. Matt Blunt today thanked the Missouri General Assembly for passing a budget that lives within Missouri taxpayers’ means, honors his strong commitment to education and rewards Missouri state employees for their service to the state.
“I appreciate that this budget honors Missouri’s commitment to education and allows us to make important investments for our future to help keep Missouri moving forward,” Blunt said.
The budget includes a $132.6 million increase for the funding formula to support elementary and secondary schools, bringing the total increase in funding to more than half a billion dollars over the last three years. To ensure Missouri’s students are well versed in math and science the budget includes $3.9 million.
In recognition that higher education is an investment in Missouri’s future, this budget includes more than $39 million in new state dollars for two and four year colleges and universities. The budget also more than doubles funding for needs-based scholarships.
The budget provides an increase of $3.9 million to help with early diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. The budget for the next fiscal year secures more than $886 million to transform Missouri’s health care safety net and introduces Mo HealthNet.
The Fiscal Year 2008 budget also includes a three percent pay raise for Missouri state employees and makes important investments in transportation, agriculture, veterans, and law enforcement, among others.