A Missouri House committee has advanced nearly $4 billion in state construction funding, greenlighting a broad range of projects aimed at boosting infrastructure, health care, and tourism across the state. The package includes 45 newly earmarked items that span from modest facility upgrades to major civic developments, reflecting a bipartisan push for locally driven investments.

Roughly half of the funding reauthorizes previously approved projects, much of it drawn from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed in 2021. As of the end of March, Missouri still had $1.3 billion unspent from the $2.9 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money it received under the act.

The newly added items in the construction budget increased general revenue spending by $76 million beyond what Governor Mike Kehoe initially proposed. Combined with the House’s operating budget passed the week prior, the chamber’s total proposed spending now stands at $51.7 billion—about $2 billion less than the governor's January budget plan.

The full House is expected to debate the construction package on Tuesday.

Committee Chair Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, defended the decision to expand general revenue spending, even as a tax cut bill awaits final approval and concerns loom over potential federal budget reductions.

“We’re still in a good position, but certainly those opportunities are diminishing,” Deaton said. “And if it’s not next year, it’ll be the year after that.”

He acknowledged that this may be the final year lawmakers have a sizeable surplus to draw from for earmarked projects. Missouri’s general revenue surplus, which peaked at $5.7 billion two years ago, is projected to fall to $2.5 billion by the end of June.

Deaton’s openness to adding numerous smaller, member-driven projects marks a shift in budgeting style from his predecessor, Cody Smith. Previously, earmarks were often added later in the process during Senate negotiations. This shift toward House involvement earned praise from the committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Betsy Fogle of Springfield.

“This has been the most collaborative and productive budget year that I’ve been a part of,” Fogle said.

The smallest earmark in the new budget is $60,000 for a Dallas County maintenance and equipment shed. The largest is a $20 million allocation for a new parking garage in Jefferson City, which is part of a larger $130 million hotel and conference center project.

To fund the parking structure, Deaton scaled back Governor Kehoe’s $52 million request for renovations at the Missouri State Penitentiary. Instead, just $15 million was allocated—enough, Deaton said, to stabilize the remaining buildings without launching major upgrades.

“If we were just to say, let’s just tear all these buildings down, it would be more than $15 million, so just to try to help them keep what they have and stabilize that seemed appropriate to me,” Deaton explained.

He also noted that the proposed parking garage would help alleviate downtown Jefferson City’s parking challenges and was favored by members in both legislative chambers.

“We’ve had talks with our colleagues on the other side of the building, and there’s some members over there I know that are very passionate about it,” Deaton said.

Other approved earmarks include 15 health-related projects, ranging from hospital expansions to mental health facilities, and seven infrastructure initiatives involving roads, bridges, and water systems. Additional funds were earmarked for tourism and cultural investments—such as the General Omar Bradley Memorial in Moberly, the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, and the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph—as well as library upgrades in Newton and Barry counties.

Not all project requests were accepted, noted Rep. Wendy Hausman, a Republican from St. Peters.

“We had to prove that it’s beneficial throughout the state,” Hausman said.

Deaton said many proposals didn’t make the cut, despite the availability of surplus funds.

“No matter what the resources we bring to bear, there’s always more need than there is opportunities to meet those needs,” he said.

Democrats appreciated their inclusion in the process, Fogle emphasized.

“The chair has continued to show a willingness to work with minority members and get some of our investments in the budget,” she said. “And today was a good day.”

Originally reported by Rudi Keller in Missouri Independent.