Gov. Eric Greitens' proposed budget for the state business year that begins July 1 would cut state government's workforce by the equivalent of another 391 full-time positions, after his administration trimmed 223.15 positions in his first year in office.
During his Jan. 10 State of the State address, Greitens said: "I'm proud to tell you that we continue to shrink the size of government.
"In fact, today the government of the state of Missouri is the smallest it's been in two decades."
Much of the cutting - a total of 6,464.16 full-time-equivalent positions - was done during the 12 years of the Matt Blunt and Jay Nixon administrations.
Numbers the state Office of Administration provided the News Tribune show 2,625.30 positions were cut during Blunt's four years in office, and another 3,838.86 positions were eliminated during Nixon's eight years.
When Blunt came into office in January 2005, the Legislature had approved a total of 61,254.55 FTE for all state operations.
When Greitens became governor Jan. 9, 2017, the budget envisioned 54,790.39 FTE positions.
In the intervening dozen years between Blunt's and Greitens' inaugurations, most state departments and agencies downsized.
The exceptions included the Office of Administration, which doubled in size - primarily through the consolidation of IT jobs, which had been spread throughout state government, into OA. Agriculture also gained 10 people, 205 more people were added in Public Safety, and a reorganization moved some agencies from Economic Development to the re-named Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration Department that more than doubled its employees from 218.50 in 2004-05 to 581.58 in 2017-18.
In Greitens' proposed budget, three state departments - Transportation, Conservation and Agriculture - would keep the same number of employees as they were allotted in the budget lawmakers approved last year.
Three others - Public Safety, Labor and Industrial Relations, and the Office of Administration - would have a total of 10 more employees than they received in the current, 2017-18 budget.
Greitens' 2018-19 budget also proposes five more employees for his own office but keeps the same number of employees for the other five statewide elected officials, the General Assembly, the Judiciary and the state Public Defender system.
The budget appropriations generally are higher than the actual number of state employees at any given time.
For instance, lawmakers allocated more than 54,500 FTE positions for the current business year that ends June 30.
But as of Dec. 31 - the half-way point of the state business year - OA reported a total of 51,798.48 actual employees.
Of that number, OA information showed 48,464 were full-time permanent employees throughout the state, or 93.6 percent of the state workforce.
Another 949.92 positions were identified as permanent part-time jobs, 1.8 percent of the workforce.
The state also had 941 positions labeled as temporary full-time jobs, 1.8 percent of the workforce.
And there were 1,443.57 temporary part-time jobs, 2.8 percent.
Greitens also wants lawmakers to pass what he's called "civil service reform;" he has not yet proposed specifics.
During his State of the State address, the governor said: "We need to reform state workforce laws that are decades old.
"Today, government can't move people to where they will help the most, can't reward people for good work, and unlike a business, it can't get rid of poor performers who fail our citizens and fail their colleagues.
"We need your help to build a common sense government."
Late last month, Greitens spokesman Parker Briden said: "We are in the process of working with the Legislature on specific legislation on civil service reform.
"(It) will be released in the near future."
State Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, said he's working on that idea with OA and others.
"As we have discussed on numerous occasions, after pay, the main complaint I hear from state employees is that it is very difficult for their hard work and contributions to be adequately recognized within the confines of an outdated employment system.
"My goal in working on this language is to remove the obstacles inherent to the current system to better allow employees to be recognized and rewarded for their efforts."
Rep. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, added: "I support ideas that make government more efficient. Now may be a good time for merit system reforms, (but) I won't be comfortable supporting a major shift in how the state conducts its business unless it makes sense for taxpayers and employees."
Freshman Rep. Sara Walsh, R-Ashland, said: "Many of the department directors, appointed by Gov. Greitens, have spent the last year conducting internal reviews and employee surveys to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of state government and employee retention.
"Throughout their testimony (to the House Budget committees), department directors have shared various ideas for civil service reform, some of which will require statutory changes, and most will have a fiscal impact.
"This is an ongoing discussion and process and will require a comprehensive study as we move forward."