State Rep. Deb Lavender returns to Politically Speaking to talk about upcoming debate over the Missouri budget, which is slated to take place over the next few weeks.

Lavender, D-Kirkwood, is currently serving her third term in the Missouri House. She serves on the House Budget Committee, and has sought to make her mark on the panel responsible for mapping out the state’s spending priorities.

Missouri has been experiencing a decline in revenue for months compared to the previous fiscal year. But the state has a fairly large surplus to fill in the budget gap this year.

One of the other major initiatives going through the House Budget Committee is a plan from Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, to steer $100 million in general revenue funds to repair the state’s bridges. That’s in contrast to Gov. Mike Parson’s bonding plan, which Republicans like Smith worry will saddle the state with interest payments.