State employee pay raise moves forward

Plus more money for LU and State Tech

The Senate-passed version of Missouri's 2016-17 state budget includes a pay raise for all state employees.

"The position that we took on the pay plan was the House position," Senate Appropriations Chairman Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, told colleagues, "which is the 2 percent increase for all state employees, with the exception of the elected officials, which were included in the governor's pay plan.

"The House took those out, and we went with the House."

With both chambers agreeing on the same increase, there should be no changes between the Senate-passed version and the final budget bills lawmakers expect to pass in a couple of weeks after the conference committees work out differences between the two chambers.

The raises would go into effect on July 1 - the beginning of the new business year.

It's estimated to cost the state almost $42.7 million more, plus $10.4 million more for the additional benefits triggered by the raise.

Sens. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, and Jeanie Riddle, R-Mokane, are pleased the budget includes a raise.

"It's not what we wish we could pay our state employees, but it is a step in the right direction," Riddle said. "It is a step to let them know we are listening, and we're trying to do what we can do."

Kehoe added: "We all would like to see a better long-term, permanent solution, but in the interim step, we're trying to shore them up as best as we can."

For an employee earning $25,000 a year, the raise would be $500 - or $9.61 more a week, before taxes.

"We'd love to be able to do more," Kehoe said.

But with Medicaid expenses growing larger than the state's revenue increase, he said, "We went into this budget $20 million behind, so being able to find something for the state workers - even though it seems like it's never enough - at least was a small victory for them."

The Senate-passed budget includes increases for education as well.

The Senate version restored Gov. Jay Nixon's January budget proposal of a 6 percent increase to the state's colleges and universities, based on performance improvements - a $55.8 million total increase for all schools - after the House had cut that back dramatically.

Lincoln University's share of the increase is $1,041,764, and the State Technical College of Missouri, Linn, would get $302,264 more.

LU also would get $2 million for its land grant match, with the Senate adding more than the House version.

Under the 1890 Land Grant Act, the state can match up to nearly $7 million for Lincoln to receive a like amount of federal funds to advance agricultural research and extension.

However, for the current business year, the state has appropriated just $1.4 million in matching funds for Lincoln, leaving a shortfall of about $5.6 million.

In all, the Senate-passed budget would give LU $21.6 million total in state aid - up from this year's $18.9 million appropriation.

State Tech would receive $6.2 million total, up from this year's $5.4 million appropriation.