The Missouri construction budget bill, which included $513 million for key projects, was killed by the Missouri House Republicans after they adjourned on Friday, leaving 86 essential projects in jeopardy. The decision to block the bill, including crucial initiatives for healthcare, education, and law enforcement, sent shockwaves across the state, infuriating state senators and local officials.

Jefferson City was set to receive $20 million for a $130 million conference center project, a plan that had been in the works for months. Luke Holtschneider, executive director of the Jefferson City Regional Economic Partnership, shared his disbelief at the decision. "Obviously it came as a bit of a shock, or very much a shock, on Friday," Holtschneider said, adding, "So we’re still trying to understand from our standpoint, how we envision the future of this project without that."

State Rep. Dave Griffith, a Republican from Jefferson City, lamented the lost opportunities but supported the House’s decision. “I can tell you that we all lost,” Griffith stated. “Everybody on our side of the aisle, everybody in the House, lost projects. We lost projects that were important to all of us.”

In response to the Senate’s attempt to move the bill forward, Senate Appropriations Chairman Lincoln Hough expressed his frustration, making it clear that House inactivity was to blame. "I wanted everyone to understand the openness in which you and I talked about what was getting ready to happen today based on the activities or really, I guess you can see the inactivity of our counterparts on the other side last week," Hough explained.

The decision has left numerous essential projects, such as $50 million for the University of Missouri’s research reactor and $55 million for a new livestock barn at the Missouri State Fairgrounds, without funding. State Senator Rusty Black emphasized the importance of the fairgrounds project, calling it an essential component of the arena under construction. "Why build a football field at the Arctic Circle if you’re not going to put the locker rooms for people to dress in?” Black said.

In Park Hills, $2.5 million was allocated to aid a lead water line replacement project, which now faces uncertainty. Zach Franklin, the city administrator, expressed the setback’s financial impact, saying, “It shows we were acting in good faith to say to our users we have saved you this much money to date.”

In the face of these challenges, the University of Missouri is moving forward with fundraising efforts for its research reactor. Spokesman Christopher Ave stressed the importance of the project, saying, “The importance of NextGen MURR in producing life-saving radioisotopes cannot be overstated.”

Despite the setback, Senator Stephen Webber highlighted the critical need for the research reactor, emphasizing its importance for cancer patients. “I would like to think that when it comes to cancer patients, and cancer research, I would say, ‘you know what, maybe I didn’t get everything I wanted, but I’m going to support that,’” Webber said.

Missouri lawmakers are now considering a special session to revisit the issue, but many remain uncertain about the future of these vital projects.

Originally reported by Rudi Keller in Missouri Independent.