The state House is poised to send to the Senate a budget that would cut $500,000 from the Department of Conservation.
Representative Craig Redmon (R-Canton), who chairs the budget subcommittee that oversees Conservation, proposed the cut. He said it is in response to the Department having paid $127,000 plus benefits to former director Robert Ziehmer since he left the Department in July.
Representative Michael Butler (D-St. Louis), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, argued Ziehmer had earned his settlement
Redmon said it is not clear why Ziehmer left the Department, and said his committee is still trying to find out.
St. Louis Representative Tracy McCreery (D-St. Louis) said Redmon’s amendment represents a punishment greater than the perceived offense.
Redmon noted that the budget must next go to the state Senate, and that $500,000 could be restored depending on what the Department tells lawmakers.
The budget for the Department of Conservation is laid out in House Bill 6.