Mayer stands by deal to cut stimulus funds, despite House misgivings

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Despite misgivings from leaders on the other side of the Capitol, Senate President Pro Tem Robert Mayer, R-Dexter, is vowing to stick to a deal he struck late last week with four GOP senators to end a month-long filibuster on extended unemployment benefits. On Monday the Senate, in a 28-to-5 vote, gave final passage to a bill that accepts $105 million in federal money to fund extended unemployment insurance. To bring the matter to a final vote, Mayer made a deal with the filibustering senators to eliminate six weeks of state-paid unemployment and to cut $250 million of other federal stimulus money coming to Missouri. On Monday, Speaker of the House Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, said the House was not included in the deal-making process and he can make no promises to cut that much stimulus money. Mayer said that would not stop him from working with the Senate Appropriations Committee to make the cuts on their end. "It was a deal that was struck very quickly and parties were ready to put a rest to the filibuster," Mayer said. "So we'll move forward in good faith and make every attempt to find the $250 million worth of cuts in House Bill 18."