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Governor Parson seeks 3 percent raise for state workers

(MissouriNet) Missouri Republican Governor Mike Parson is asking for a 3 percent across the board raise for state workers in his budget request for the upcoming fiscal year.

The governor released his spending plan during his State of the State address to a joint gathering of the Missouri House and Senate in Jefferson City Wednesday afternoon.

Among the other highlights in addition to the state employee pay increase is a $351 million outlay of money for infrastructure upgrades.  Those dollars will primarily be used to pay for repairs to 250 bridges statewide in need of critical repair or replacement.

Many members from both parties in the legislature have expressed frustration with a lack of transportation funding after voters resoundingly rejected a ballot measure to raise the motor fuel tax by 10 cents a gallon to fund roads.

Governor Parson’s request calls for the state’s operating budget to increase by roughly $1 billion from $28.8 billion to $29.8 billion, a figure which includes federal money and other sources of funding.

Parson is asking for an increase of roughly $300 million to the general revenue fund from $9.9 billion to $10.2 billion.  The legislature allocates money for state programs and services with general revenue money.

The governor has also pledged to fully fund Missouri’s education foundation formula at $3.55 billion, an increase from the $3.49 billion from the current fiscal year.  Money for higher education will remain flat under the governor’s spending plan, although he’s asked for $20 million to cover deferred maintenance at the state’s four-year institutions.

Parson has asked for $5 million to expand rural broadband through grants.

In addition, he’s called for a roughly $300 million increase in the state’s Medicaid program.

The governor is also calling for 436 full-time state jobs to be eliminated through retirements, with no employee layoffs.  The state employee pay increase will take effect on January 1, 2020.

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