http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-902965.mp3
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri lawmakers wrapped up their business in Jefferson City last week.
State Senator Wes Shoemyer says crafting the state's budget for the upcoming fiscal year proved to be the biggest challenge of the 2010 legislative session. In fact, the Monroe County Democrat says it was the most difficult budget Missouri has faced during his time in office.
Shoemyer says one positive from the process was that lawmakers did not have to borrow money to develop the spending plan. He says how the state budget was actually put together, though, was a negative.
Shoemyer says lawmakers passed the actual budget earlier in the session than normal. But he says the key components of the spending plan were not approved before the end of the session.
Shoemyer says that is why Governor Jay Nixon must cut about $350-million from an unbalanced budget. He says he will do all he can to prevent that from happening in the future.
The Senator says lawmakers spent too much time adopting joint resolutions and not enough time working on legislation like a jobs bill that would have helped encourage Ford to locate in Missouri.
The Missouri legislature did toughen drunk driving penalties, provide autism insurance coverage, and pass an ethics bill while in Jefferson City.
You can hear more with Shoemyer by clicking the audio link above.