The Missouri House has adopted Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) proposal announced Thursday to add $86 million to a capital improvements bill.
The move follows the release of April’s general revenue report, which shows revenue collections for the current fiscal year are up by more than 11 percent. The Governor’s proposal includes $13 million for a new state mental hospital at Fulton, $45 million for state parks, and $28 million for structural repairs to the State Capitol. House Speaker Tim Jones (R, Eureka) says it’s an agreement that will be especially beneficial to the nearly century-old Capitol.
"We have a lot of moisture problems in this building, we have a lot of mold problems in this building," Jones told reporters. "We think we better do some basic maintenance which has been on the books for a long time, if we’re gonna preserve this building and not have it be incredibly costly down the road.”
The Governor’s amendment was easily approved and the bill it was added to received first-round approval. The Missouri Senate took part in negotiations with the House and the Nixon administration, and is also expected to pass it. However, that won't happen today, as the Senate has already adjourned for the week.
House Bill 19 also includes a new state office building to be built near the old Missouri State Prison in Jefferson City. It will serve as a new home for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and provide additional office space for other state agencies.
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