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Following weeks of deliberation, negotiators in the House and Senate finalized a plan Thursday that funds general state programs, but also puts $50 million toward the MOScholars program.

The issue of vouchers became a significant sticking point in budget talks, all but shutting down the House and Senate for much of the day Thursday while negotiators held talks behind closed doors.

Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called for an expansion of the program, but some members of the GOP-controlled Senate balked. Talks centered on finding a middle ground on the funding, but the committee overseeing the budget sided with Kehoe.

Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, argued against the expansion Thursday, saying religious schools can discriminate by not accepting students that have high needs.

“I think this is fiscally irresponsible,� Nurrenbern said. “Folks are more interested in catering to special interests than taxpayers.�

Democrat Rep. Marlene Terry of north ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County was among those supporting the added money. Terry, a former member of the Riverview Gardens school district, had been placed on the budget panel by Republican leaders in the House in part for her support for school choice initiatives.

“We want our children to get the best education they can. That’s the narrative I’m going to go with,� Terry said. “These children deserve this.�

The four-year-old voucher program currently  to qualified students for the current school year. It runs off of private donations that are eligible for tax credits.

The program, however, has struggled to raise donations, prompting calls by school choice advocates, including Senate President Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, for a taxpayer-funded bailout.

Using public funds for private religious schools is currently barred by the Missouri Constitution, though the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 struck down a similar restriction in Maine, placing Missouri’s ban in doubt.

Supporters dismiss the constitutional concerns, saying the money would not be given directly to private schools, but would be administered by the state treasurer’s office.

“To me this looks like a $50 million slush fund for the state treasurer,� Nurrenbern said.

When first approved four years ago, MOScholars was limited to larger cities and counties as a concession to rural lawmakers.

But an expansion last year takes the program statewide and raises current household income limits on participation.

Currently, about 2,600 students are covered by the program.

While Kehoe came out a winner in the last-minute skirmish, budget writers rejected the Republican governor’s attempt to underfund the formula that determines state funding levels for local school districts.

The $300 million decision, led by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, was met with concern by members of the House who had sided with Kehoe.

“I think we all want to fund education. The question is how. What’s the amount?� said Rep. Darin Chappell, R-Rogersville.

Kehoe, in his January budget proposal, called for a record $4 billion to be spent on K-12 schools. But, his proposal called for about $300 million less than the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requested.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they would not shortchange school districts while the formula is being rewritten.

“It’s a law we have on the books. Even if it’s law we don’t necessarily like, we still have to follow it,� said Sen. Mike Henderson, R-Des Loge.

“This is the most important thing we’re going to do today, and this is a statutory minimum that we have in a commitment that we’ve made to our kids back home,� said Rep. Betsy Fogle, a Springfield Democrat who is the ranking member of the minority party on the House Budget Committee.

During a late Wednesday hearing, Deaton signaled he was worried about the cost.

“We’ll see what the implications of that are as we go through the night,� Deaton said.

The spending blueprint heading into Friday’s votes includes up to 10% pay raises for long-time state employees, a $107 million expansion of child care funding and a 3% increase to the state’s universities and community colleges.

Negotiators also approved a $10 million pool of money to help charter schools renovate and repair buildings.

The panel also set aside $20 million to continue a program put in place by former Gov. Mike Parson to upgrade and maintain Missouri’s expansive network of rural roads. Kehoe had sought $60 million.

The committee eliminated $2.5 million to study extending Interstate 72 from Hannibal across the northern portion of the state.

Deaton was able to win $19 million for a new state park in McDonald County in his home county.

Sen. Karla May, D-ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, was unsuccessful in her push to double the $2.5 million that will help the Great Rivers Greenway build and maintain its network of pedestrian paths in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ region.

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