Rep. Cody Smith Announced as Chairman of the House Budget Committee
JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Speaker of the House Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, announced today that the House Budget Committee chairman for the 100th General Assembly will be Rep. Cody Smith, R-Jasper. Smith will replace former Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Cassville, who will be stepping down from the House after being tapped by Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday to fill the vacancy of the state Treasurer.
“Rep. Smith has proven himself to be true steward of Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars and a leader in securitizing government spending,” said Speaker Haahr. “Having served the past months as the vice-chairman and preparing for the session, he is ready to tackle the complexities of the budget process and provide stability on the committee for years to come.”
The House Budget Committee is tasked with crafting and passing the state’s $28 billion operating budget that funds the critical functions of state government. The committee chairman also leads in negotiating differences between budgets proposed by the Governor and the Senate.
Haahr continued, “Passing a balanced budget is the most important responsibility of the Missouri General Assembly and I am confident in Rep. Smith’s ability to ensure every tax dollar spent reflects the priorities of Missourians. Government must live within its means and Rep. Smith will put conservative principles into action to protect from wasteful spending while not raising taxes.”
Smith is a small business owner and realtor with an extensive background in banking and finance. In November, he was elected to his second term in the House. He was appointed vice-chairman of the committee this past summer and has also served as the vice-chairman of the important Fiscal Review committee. There, Smith was instrumental in the thorough review of legislation being considered that would require the state to spend taxpayer money.
“I look forward to bringing my real world insight as a business owner to the Budget Committee,” said Rep. Smith. “I thank Speaker Haahr for this appointment and I am ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to guide the House in passing a responsible and balanced budget.”
