Happy Mother’s Day 2012

On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13, the country will honor our mothers, and all women that have made a difference in a child’s life. On this day we celebrate the special bonds shared between mothers and their children.  Every child blessed with a mother’s love has been given one of life’s great gifts.  We recognize the extraordinary contributions mothers make to their children and their families. I have been blessed with a great mom who has always provided love, guidance and unwavering support. Thank you, Mom, for everything. You are the best and I love you.

BUDGET:  The main job of the state legislature every year is the budget. And this year, we faced a 500-million dollar shortfall. To get to a balanced budget, both chambers of the General Assembly had to make some difficult choices. This week, we truly agreed and finally passed next year’s budget.

Here in the Missouri House, we pledged to pass a balanced budget without raising taxes on hard-working Missourians and we accomplished this goal with the final budget we passed.  It now goes to the Governor for his approval.

As you may recall, education was the major focus in our initial version of the budget that passed in March. And I am proud to say we carried that commitment to education through to the final version, making it our top priority. Children are the future of our great state and investing in education ensures the success of our children and our economic viability as a state.

HIGHER EDUCATION:  One budget goal was restoring the $106 million the governor cut from higher education. Fortunately, the Senate and the House agreed to keep this funding, and now, our colleges and universities will not face the huge cut that the governor wanted. Restoring this funding is an investment in our children’s future, and it will ensure future economic growth and the eventual success of our children as they enter the workforce.

ELEM. & SEC. EDUCATION:  The House and Senate also increased the funding for elementary and secondary education. In the final budget, we included $5.3 billion for this department, the largest in Missouri history. This includes funding in several key areas. First, we added $5 million to the school foundation formula, and we worked hard to keep it in the budget.

With the cost of fuel rising at an alarming rate, the $99.8 million for school transportation was particularly important. In the past, the governor has withheld this money to pay for other priorities. This made it difficult for our schools to keep their buses up and running, especially in our rural districts.

We were also able to restore the $25 million the Senate cut to the Parents as Teachers program. This program helps children get off to a good start in life by stressing the parent’s role in their child’s education. By providing more funding for this program, we can prepare more children for success as the enter elementary school.

Please let me know if you would like to receive my weekly newsletter updates via electronic E-Mail, by sending an email with your name to: Shelley.Keeney@house.mo.gov   You may also go to the House members’ website (http://www.house.mo.gov/) and sign up for the newsletter on my home page.  At that location, you also have access to other House information and can review or watch the actions on legislative bills; as well as listen to live session audio.

As always, I appreciate hearing from you about your comments, opinions and concerns regarding legislative matters and state government. My phone number is 573-751-5912.  You may also write me at: “Shelley Keeney; Missouri House of Representatives; State Capitol, Room 313; Jefferson City, MO  65101-6806.”