Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee chair Lincoln Hough (R-Springfield) says the “votes weren’t there” in the Senate last week to override any of the 14 budget bills overridden by the GOP-controlled Missouri House. That included restoration of $1.4 million for Columbia-based Missouri Task Force One and $2-million for Missouri National Guard reenlistment incentives. The Senate did not take up any of the overrides last week, and Chairman Hough tells listeners that it’s simple and involves math. Overriding a veto in the Senate requires at least 23 votes. He also praises the approximately $50-billion budget signed recently by Governor Parson, noting it contains $2.8 billion to rebuild and expand I-70 to six lanes from Wentzville to Blue Springs and another $300-million for a new mental health hospital in Kansas City. Chairman Hough also addressed the spending criticism he received last week on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” from one of his colleagues, State Sen. William Eigel (R-Weldon Spring):
