By Eli Yokley
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — House Budget Committee Chairman Rick Stream left the building late Tuesday to help care for his mother who suffered a stroke.
Steam’s absence comes as the House is continuing debate on the Fiscal Year 2014 budget. House leaders planned to continue debate Tuesday and Wednesday, but led by Budget Committee Vice Chairman Tom Flanigan, R-Carthage.
“We are going to try to succeed,” said one Republican involved in the process.
Speaking on the House floor, Speaker Tim Jones said Stream told him his mother is “the most remarkable woman he’s ever encountered in his life.”
Jones said Stream wanted to stay, but was pressed to leave after it was found out that his mother’s prognosis was not good.
“You should all know what a great man of duty he is,” Jones said.
Tuesday morning, lawmakers began debate on the education provisions of the committee’s budget bills. The House voted in favor of moving $85,000 from the K-12 administrative budget to agribusiness education, but a bill changing new “CORE” education pillars failed.
