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A weekly conversation about Missouri's state budget, the people shaping it and the process behind the numbers.
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Ep. 7 | DAN HAUG (PT. 2): NO MORE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD
Missouri’s budget choices are getting harder. What happens when there’s no more kicking the can down the road? In Episode 7 of Beers & Budget, Erin Schrimpf and Andy Foley continue their conversation with recently retired Missouri Budget Director Dan Haug about the difficult decisions ahead—and what they could mean for the services Missourians use every day. After 31 years in state government, including 11 years as budget director, Haug explains why declining fund balances are forcing a reckoning, why even top priorities could face reductions, and why moving money around won’t solve the problem. From tax policy and Medicaid to artificial intelligence and the challenges of modernizing state government, he walks through the choices and constraints shaping Missouri’s next budget. Then, in Last Call, Haug shares a memorable clash with former House Budget Chair Scott Fitzpatrick, explains why his retirement lasted just 11 days, and offers his one-word outlook for FY28: “Challenging.” As Haug puts it: “There’s no more kicking the can down the road, and you’ve got to make those hard decisions.”
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Featured Clips
Quick takes, budget explainers and standout moments from Beers & Budget.
BUDGET EXPLAINED
The House's Revenue Neutral Rule, Explained
FROM THE CONVERSATION
Bill Owen on What’s Ahead for Missouri’s Budget
HOST VENUE
GUMBO BOTTOMS ALE HOUSE
The show is filmed at Gumbo Bottoms Ale House on Madison Street in downtown Jefferson City, giving the conversations a more relaxed setting while keeping the focus on substantive policy. As part of the “Beers” in Beers & Budget, Foley and Schrimpf also highlight and recommend beers from local, mid-Missouri and Missouri breweries, using the show as an opportunity to support the Ale House and other locally owned businesses and brewers across the state.
