Rupp: More Difficult Budget Years to Come

My fight to reduce state government and curb spending carries on.

This week, my colleagues gave me the great honor to serve as one of five senators on the Budget Conference Committee. As many of you know, the Senate passed its version of the budget last week, which included approximately $458 million dollars in government spending across the state.

I was on the appropriations committee that went through the budget, line by line, to achieve that amount of reduction. The conference committee allows various members of the House and Senate to iron out the differences between the two budget versions before sending the final budget to the governor.

The priorities the Senate had for its version of the budget: no new taxes, supporting education, and minimizing the impact on our citizens. We were able to meet all of these priorities, and at the same time, I believe we have started the process of making our government smaller and more efficient.

While we reduced government spending by a half a billion dollars, we will be faced with the need to reduce spending next year as well. These tough decisions will impact all of our lives, but the tough decisions we make today will keep us from impossible tasks in the future. We chose to deal with these issues head-on, rather than burying our heads in the sand and pretending that tough decisions didn’t need to be made. We must continue to bring Missouri government to a place where it meets the needs of its citizens while living within our means, as Missouri families do every day.

While there was progress toward establishing a government that is the right size for our new economic reality, there is still much work to be done. It’s an honor that you have entrusted me to continue representing your voice in this process. I will continue to update you with the latest news regarding passing a fiscally responsible budget for you and your family

As always, if you have any questions about this week’s column or any other matter involving state government, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach my office by phone at (866) 271-2844.