A St. Joseph Democrat will have a say in final negotiations in Missouri’s public safety and corrections budgets.

The Senate last week approved all of the bills for the state’s 2008-2009 budget that originated from the House of Representatives this winter.

Now the chambers will take each budget bill and go to conference. That’s when legislators selected from House and Senate leadership from both parties negotiate the differences between their different versions.

The House’s Democratic caucus chairman, Rep. Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph, has been selected to serve on the Conference Committees for Public Safety and Corrections, which began work this morning in Jefferson City. Mr. Wildberger is a former St. Joseph firefighter.

The Missouri Department of Corrections budget in HB 2009 includes funding essential for the start-up of the Chillicothe Correctional Center.

The existing prison in Chillicothe, which was built in 1895, has an inmate capacity of 525. The new prison will hold more than 1,600 offenders. The department also plans to use the prison to help with overcrowding from the prison in Vandalia, Mo

The funding sat high on Gov. Matt Blunt’s wish list of new decision items, slating the prison for roughly $13.2 million to pay for new personnel and equipment.

The Chillicothe prison’s total proposed budget of roughly $14.663 million – not an item up for negotiation since both chambers agreed on the number – is slightly higher to account for a 3 percent state employee salary increase.

The prison is set to open this fall.

The Legislature must approve the entire budget by May 9.