State Budget Chief Warns Departments Not to Plan on Increases

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state's economic picture is not looking that rosy a year down the line.

The state's budget chief is telling state department directors not to plan on any increases in core budgets in the next fiscal year.

Linda Luebbering says that includes departments that are facing budget withholding now.

That means that the 1-percent of the higher education budget withheld by Governor Jay Nixon for the current year will not be restored next year.

Luebbering says the state will lose $220 million in one-time funds from 2013 to 2014, so state department budgets will have to be austere again.