Missouri plans further $47 million in state spending restrictions

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks during a COVID-19 briefing Monday, April 20, 2020.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks during a COVID-19 briefing Monday, April 20, 2020.

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Missouri's state government will have tens of millions of dollars of additional funding restricted, on top of the $180 million in restrictions announced earlier this month, Gov. Mike Parson said Monday.

Parson did not immediately specify which state departments would be affected, but said the restrictions would impact nine state agencies, the Missouri Attorney General's Office and the General Assembly.

The state Legislature plans to meet next week to begin crafting next year's budget, after passing a supplemental budget earlier this month to get the state through the end of June and to authorize spending of emergency federal aid.

Though the $47 million in cuts Parson announced Monday is testament to the ongoing economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, he and other leaders in his administration were encouraged by data about the course of the disease.

Parson's plan is to begin re-opening the Missouri economy, slowly, on May 4, after the current stay-at-home order is set to expire May 3.