APPROPRIATIONS APPOINTMENT MAY AFFECT AREA

The forthcoming appointments of new chairmen of the House and Senate committees responsible for preparing the state's $13 billion budget, could have a big impact on the share going to Southeast Missouri.

This region has done well during the tenure of the late Norman Merrell, who chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Chris Kelly, who chaired the House Budget Committee until resigning this fall to take another job in government.

For example, both Merrell and Kelly were supporters of efforts to fund a new College of Business Building at Southeast Missouri State University and recognized the efforts to raise local funds to match state funds.

Despite their support, no funding mechanism was in place until this year when the governor proposed a $250 million capital improvements bond issue for correctional institutions and higher education.

Voters approved the measure in August, and the business building was one of the earmarked projects.

Sen. Harry Wiggins, D-Kansas City, was vice chairman of the Senate panel and took over the chairmanship following Merrell's death. He is not expected to be the new chairman.

On the House side, the vice chairman is Rep. Joe Maxwell, D-Mexico, but he has been elected to the Senate and will not be around to head the committee.

Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, and Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, both agree the chairman can make a difference in securing tight state funds.

"It certainly is a crucial spot," said Kasten, a member of the budget committee.

"It could make a huge difference," added Thomason. "Whether it is crucial or not depends on what happens down the road. The pressures of budget chairman are entirely different from other pressures placed on a committee chairman or representative, and it is hard to figure how someone will react to it."

On the House side, both Thomason and Kasten agree Southeast Missouri would likely be better off with a budget chairman from an outstate area.

Two of the leading candidates under consideration by House Speaker Bob Griffin, Thomason said, are Reps. Sheila Lumpe of University City, and O.L. Shelton of St. Louis.

But others who have been mentioned include Rep. Phil Tate, from northwest Missouri, and Rep. Gracia Backer of New Bloomfield. Backer, however, is often mentioned as a likely replacement for Secretary of State Judi Moriarty, if an impeachment trial before the state Supreme Court next month leads to her ouster.

For eight years, Southeast Missouri was well taken care of on the House Budget Committee when former Rep. Marvin Proffer of Jackson headed the panel. Proffer, who now works as a lobbyist for Southeast Missouri State, had a good relationship with former Rep. Al Nilges, who replaced him as chairman in 1989 when he retired from the House, and Kelly.

Kelly served as Proffer's vice chairman for several years and became chairman when Nilges retired after two years as head of the committee.

Whoever is appointed House chairman will be a former House colleague of Proffer's, but is not likely to be someone he worked as closely with on the committee as Nilges or Kelly.

If the new House chairman is from an urban area, Kasten said, the fact the committee has 31 members helps to insure there is a good balance of discussion.

For the last two years, Kasten has been the only representative from Southeast Missouri on the budget panel. However, two other members have had strong ties to the area. Rep. Mary Hagan-Harrell, D-Ferguson, is a native of Chaffee and a graduate of Southeast Missouri State, and Rep. Ron Auer, D-St. Louis, is a Southeast graduate.

Mark Ausmus, general counsel for Speaker Griffin, said Monday Griffin doesn't plan to name the budget chairman or any other committee heads until after the session convenes Jan. 4.

On the Senate side, Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, a member of the Senate appropriations panel, has asked President James Mathewson to consider appointing him to the job.

"It makes a big difference for Southeast Missouri who the chairman is," Howard said. "I feel like I need to stay on the committee to protect our interests and would like to have that chairmanship above everything else."

Howard said Merrell was always fair to this part of the state and he had a good relationship with him.

Many believe Sen. Mike Lybyer, D-Texas County, has the inside track on heading the appropriations committee. Lybyer recently won a fourth Senate term.

Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, said Lybyer would be good for Southeast Missouri.

"He would definitely be good for us," Kinder said. "He and I have had discussions about that possibility. We have worked well together and I think we would be in good shape with him as chairman."

Mathewson is expected to name the new appropriations chairman sometime next month.