JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri House leaders expect to open debate this week on a proposed state budget of roughly $24 billion.
Lawmakers are required to approve a budget by early May for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Among the most watched areas of the budget will be funding for higher education and for a program that covers medical care for blind people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.
The Republican-led House Budget Committee proposed deep cuts in aid for the blind to restore a cut in higher education funding proposed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.