By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – The 2010 Missouri legislative session is just over a month away. State lawmakers and members of Governor Jay Nixon's cabinet are making preparations for what's expected to be another financially-strapped fiscal year, as state revenues continue their downward trend.
Mark Templeton, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said his agency is not as dependent on state tax collections.
"We're about 85 percent fee-funded we actually receive very little general revenue."
Still, the DNR's payroll and operations budget was slashed by nearly $500,000 in October.
Governor Nixon has indicated that more budget cuts may be necessary before the start of the 2010 session, which begins January 6th.