JC lawmakers disappointed with Senate pay plan

All three back raises for state workers making up to $70,000

The three lawmakers whose districts include Jefferson City said last week they'd work to increase state pay raise levels before the budget is passed this spring.

But, even if the Legislature ultimately adopts the Senate's proposed version of a pay plan for Missouri state employees, nearly 82 percent of the state's workers still would receive a 2 percent increase.

Last week, the Senate's Appropriations Committee approved a 2 percent increase for all state employees earning up to $45,000 a year. But the House-passed budget that senators now are reviewing included a 2 percent raise for all state employees making up to $70,000 a year - or almost 97 percent of the workforce.