BECOME A MEMBER

Conference Committee Retains Transit Funding at Lower Level

Kim Cella

April 23, 2026

Updated May 5, 2026

The Missouri Conference Committee took up the budget bills on May 4, 2026. The Conference Committee reduced the state transit operating assistance line item by half from $5 million to $2.5 million from the Capitol Commission Funds. The Conference Committee positions will now need to be voted on this week by both chambers. The deadline for the budget is May 8. The budget bills will then go to the Governor.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Last week, the Missouri Senate worked through the budget bills including HB2004 which includes restoration of the $5 million in funding for transit investment. Currently, Missouri State Transit Assistance totals $6.7 million – $5 million from the Capitol Commission Funds plus $1.7 million from the State Transportation Fund. The bill was passed out of Senate Appropriations committee on April 15, 2026.

In January, Governor Kehoe proposed cutting $5 million in transit funding from General Revenue in his FY2027 budget recommendations. This came on the heels of a 42% reduction in state funding last year. If enacted, the additional cut would leave just $1.7 million to be split among 30 transit providers statewide for operating assistance. Per capita spending has already dropped from $1.89 to $1.08 in the last year — which is among the lowest in the nation — and would drop to 27 cents under the governor’s proposal. The House Budget Committee supported this stance in their budget released in March. “Kudos to the Senate and the bipartisan leadership within the Senate Appropriations Committee for supporting public transit,” said Kimberly Cella, CEO of Citizens for Modern Transit. “Public transit providers deliver nearly 40 million rides each year across rural and urban Missouri, while also stimulating $4 billion in economic activity statewide. Restoration of the $5 million will ensure that countless Missourians maintain access to reliable transportation. Without this funding, the impending service cuts or loss of service altogether would disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including seniors, individuals with disabilities and those living in rural and underserved areas. It means losing access to jobs, dialysis appointments, essential health care services, necessary medications and groceries. It is critical now for riders, advocates and supporters to reach out Conference Committee members and especially the Governor’s office to ensure this $5 million remains in the budget.”

May 8 is the deadline for approval of the Missouri budget. The Missouri Public Transit Association, Citizens for Modern Transit, riders, providers, stakeholders and advocates have been reaching out to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on the dire impacts of reducing transit assistance to zero from General Revenue. Now is the time to reach out to the Governor’s office to support this funding. Please take 5 minutes to ask Conference Committee members and the Governor to support the $6.7 million in public transit investment in HB 2004 requested by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission for Missouri transit, maintaining the public transit funding levels of 2025. Contact to the Governor’s office can be made here: https://governor.mo.gov/contact-us/mo-governor or calls can be made to: 573.751.3222.

Conference Committee Members Information:

Name	Committee	District	Provider	Room #	Email	Phone
Representative Bishop Davidson	Conference Committee	District 130- Springfield	CU Transit/OATS Transit	306-B	bishop.davidson@house.mo.gov	573-751-2381
Representative Betsy Fogle	Conference Committee	District 135- Springfield	CU Transit/OATS Transit	109-A	betsy.fogle@house.mo.gov	573-751-9809
Representative Dirk Deaton	Conference Committee	District 159- Newton, McDonald	OATS Transit	309	dirk.deaton@house.mo.gov	573-751-9801
Representative Kimberly Ann Collins	Conference Committee	District 77- St. Louis City	Metro Transit	201-BA	kimberlyann.collins@house.mo.gov	573-751-1400
Representative Mike Steinmeyer	Conference Committee	District 20- Jackson	KCATA	116-A2	mike.steinmeyer@house.mo.gov	573-751-3674
Senator Rusty Black	Conference Committee	District 12- Andrew, etc.	OATS Transit	420	rusty.black@senate.mo.gov	573-751-1415
Senator Brad Hudson	Conference Committee	District 33- Douglas, etc.	OATS Transit	426	brad.hudson@senate.mo.gov	573-751-1882
Senator Sandy Crawford	Conference Committee	District 28- Benton, etc.	OATS Transit	319	sandy.crawford@senate.mo.gov	573-751-8793
Senator Karla May	Conference Committee	District 4- St. Louis City	Metro Transit	225	karla.may@senate.mo.gov	573-751-3599
Senator Brian Williams	Conference Committee	District 14- St. Louis County	Metro Transit	428A	brian.williams@senate.mo.gov	573-751-4106

Get CMT news and event info from our email newsletters or social media channels

Subscribe for Updates

701 Market, Ste. 275
St. Louis, MO 63101

Phone: 314-231-7272

Email: info@cmt-stl.org