Missouri Senate passes budget that reverses higher ed funding changes and child care cuts

The Missouri Senate approved the 12 budget bills that make up the state operating budget, totaling $48.8 billion. The Senate reversed a House plan to fund higher education institutions based on enrollment, which critics said created winners and losers among the state's colleges and universities. The Senate also kept over $80 million in funding for disability care programs. The budget is now on its way back to the House, where a conference committee is likely to be asked to work out a compromise. The Senate did not include money to fully fund the state's K-12 foundation formula, falling short by around $190 million. Senate Appropriations Chair Rusty Black argued it was wiser not to allocate the additional funding.