JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A constitutional deadline is looming over the General Assembly to pass a budget by the end of this week but before that, senators must renew a multi-billion-dollar tax.

After a 41-hour standstill last week, the Senate adjourned just 30 minutes after going into session on Monday without making any progress. Then, on Tuesday, members spent the day debating a handful of bills, but none of them included the $50-plus-billion spending plan or the federal reimbursement allowance.

“We’re coming down to the end and tempers are a little bit short and last week we were held here for over 40 hours for basically what I would consider nothing,” Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, said.

The General Assembly has only missed a budget deadline once, and that was in the 90s.

Between last week’s standstill and an ultimatum from members of the Freedom Caucus, a key piece of Medicaid funding and the state’s budget are in jeopardy.

The full article is available at ozarksfirst.com.

(Story by Emily Manley, Kevin S. Held, ozarksfirst.com)