As of last Thursday, when I wrote this, the U.S. House of Representatives was dead in the water when it comes to passing budget bills that are supposed to take effect on Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year.
This happens year after year. I think all salaries for members of Congress should stop on Oct. 1 if the budget is not passed and not be payable again until they actually do their jobs. And the money they are not paid should be unrecoverable. I bet if that was the case they would buckle down and get budgets passed.
One of the hold ups this time is a group of representatives who want the spending package to also make it illegal to vote if you are not a legal resident. That’s already the case but who wants to be bothered with details? Additions to voting law can come up outside the budget process. But again, details, details.
Apparently enough of the body is resistant to forcing the voting measure into the budget process that the speaker of the house just pulled the spending bills off the calendar for more negotiations. Yammering behind closed doors probably won’t solve anything.
So here we go again, facing a potential government shut down.
Speaking of government shutdowns, Missouri has had an enormous foul up involving a change in computer systems and payments supposed to go to childcare providers for low income clients.
Childcare providers, many unpaid for the entirety of 2024, are closing,
There is no excuse for that. In nine months the state could have resorted to doing it all by hand and getting the money where it needed to go.
There is also word, hopefully wrong, that the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is going to be about $100 million short in funding this year. If true, that will absolutely show up on your local school’s spread sheets. Whose estimate was that much short?
If you remember, I warned the legislature to be careful with spending and watch what constant tax cuts would do to state revenue. Well, here we are.
