Senate approves $400 million in building repairs

Sometime in the next couple of years, the Thomas Jefferson statue, the Missouri Capitols south steps and the protective roof all will disappear so work crews can repair major problems with the Capitols foundation.

The $40 million project is just one of more than 200 approved Thursday by state senators to be paid for with the sale of bonds approved last year.

The Senate passed two bills detailing where $400 million of that money will be spent, by identical 31-3 votes.

Including the Capitol work, Mid-Missouri will get more than $119 million in projects.

Lincoln University and the State Technical College of Missouri will benefit from the higher education projects list.

In the bonding bills previously, we just let everybody put projects in there that wanted (them) and the first thing you knew, we were talking over billions and billions of dollars, Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, reminded colleagues. Last year, for the first time in over a decade, we actually raised our caps on our bonding authority for this purpose. But we didnt finalize the project list.

Parson said the list was put together using four criteria needs, safety, cost and economic impact on the state.

Missouris almost century-old Capitol will get $40 million for major repairs of problems Missourians generally dont see.

The whole front of the building has to be removed, Jefferson City Republican Sen. Mike Kehoe explained, so the lead (waterproofing) membrane can be replaced with a synthetic, rubber membrane.

If that isnt done, he said, deterioration in the foundation will continue as will mold growing in the basement.

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Senate approves $400 million in building repairs