What would you build or repair if you had an extra $200 million available for projects?
That's a question raised last week in the Missouri Senate, because a bill passed last year set aside $200 million for construction of the new Fulton State Hospital - but "Fulton was funded by another source and it's being bonded through the appropriations process," Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, explained.
So, he's introduced a bill to remove the Fulton hospital language from last year's bonding bill, "and it would be open to be able to use for the state," Parson said. "You could use it for deferred maintenance.
"You could use it for capital improvements. Or you could, absolutely, not use it" at all.
Parson reminded colleagues they actually passed three bonding resolutions last year, after the Legislature also authorized raising the state's authority to sell bonds by $600 million.
"There was $200 million that had to do with higher education and community colleges," he said. "There's another $200 million ... for deferred maintenance across the state, including the state Capitol."
Senators discussed possible options for using the $200 million freed-up when the Fulton project was approved under a different payment plan.
"One of them, needless to say, is our veterans (homes)," Parson said.
Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla - whose district includes the Fort Leonard Wood area and the state's St. James Veterans Home - noted: "How veterans view Missouri (and) how well they're treated in the life issues after military service is a really big deal - and part of what the Pentagon and the Department of Defense look at.
"Right now, we've got just a little over 2,100 people on a waiting list - and we've got a total of 1,350 beds."
The State Historical Society, which currently operates in the basement of the University of Missouri-Columbia's Ellis Library, has been asking for a new home for several years.
"It's about preserving history for the state of Missouri," Parson said, "and I didn't know until just recently that we're required by the Missouri statutes to do that, to make sure that we're taking care of that place."
Senate Majority Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin, explained: "There's around $100 million of artwork (by) George Caleb Bingham (and) others that have been donated to the Historical Society.
"Plus, the Western Manuscript collection was given to the state of Missouri."
The society is "out of room, anyway" in its Ellis Library location, Richard said. "It may be a little bit pricey, now - but that's because we've ignored it for so many years."
Another idea could be paying for crime lab improvements around the state, Parson - a former Polk County sheriff - said, because "you have many, many criminal cases that are back-logged anywhere from a year to two years. That means there's victims out there who are waiting and waiting and waiting to get through our court system - just because we cannot process evidence."
He noted the bill currently doesn't include a project list - and he promised that no measure approving another bonds sale would be passed without a list.
More debate on the measure could come this week.