TO:  MTC Members

FROM:  Dale Amick - MTC Legislative Consultant

[ CLICK HERE to view the January 19, 2006 Legislative Status Report ]

The Missouri Legislature has begun writing a new state budget for the coming fiscal year as the 2006 legislative session heads into its fourth week of activity.

The Missouri House Appropriations Committee for Economic Development has begun deliberations on part of the new state budget that includes 17.8 million dollars for the Division of Tourism.

The recommendation was included in the governor’s proposed budget sent to the legislature last week. That is the same level as approved by the legislature last year. However, the governor cut over 20 per cent of that amount in order to balance the budget last year.

The House committee is expected to send its recommendations onto the House Budget Committee next month.

In addition, the legislature is deliberating on a supplemental budget bill that includes added state funding for the current fiscal year. That bill includes one million dollars for the Division of Tourism as recommended by the governor. That bill should be approved by the legislature within the next few weeks.

The focus of the Missouri Travel Council the next few weeks will be on winning support among legislators for these budget recommendations.

Committee activity on hundreds of bills filed in the legislature will be a prime focus of both houses in the coming weeks.