Missouri state budget

Missouri lawmakers cut the Imagination Library's budget for the upcoming fiscal year by more than half — from about $6 million to $2 million. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said it won't have the money to enroll new children in the program after next month.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has proposed deep cuts to art funding across the state as part of an austerity initiative emphasizing smaller government and fiscal discipline. Artists and arts advocates say their cultural contributions help drive economic investment.