At mid-session, a group of Central Missouri lawmakers is attempting to breathe life into a pay raise for state employees.
The prognosis is not encouraging.
Although Missouri state employees are reportedly the lowest paid in the 50 states, Gov. Jay Nixon did not include a pay raise in his proposed budget. And the budget passed by the House also failed to include pay hikes.
"Obviously," said Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, "when the governor doesn't put it in, that really makes it a tough mountain to climb."
But, he added, "We're not going to give up."
We appreciate the effort, but we encourage lawmakers to focus as much or more attention on preserving the $300,000 lawmakers have added to the budget for a total compensation study. Funding for the study was among initiatives deleted last year by the governor's line-item veto.
Legislators acknowledge, and we have heard, criticisms of the study. "I know a lot of state employees who say, "Forget the study, just give us a pay raise,'" Kehoe said.
We believe the study has merit, for two reasons.
First, some lawmakers see state salaries as a component of the total compensation package, which includes health insurance, retirement plans and other benefits.
Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, said: "I just want to look at - if you include pension benefits and other fringe benefits our state employees have - where do we fall in that area, as well?"
A total compensation study would answer those questions.
Second, although a state pay raise is a high priority for area lawmakers, who work closely with state employees - also their constituents - every day, it may not be a priority for other legislators.
"What we need to understand," Kehoe said, "is there's a group (local lawmakers) that understands what state employees do ... but there's another universe of elected officials that, probably, don't quite understand it."
Building support for a state employee pay raise will require data, from a study, and convincing lawmakers statewide, through common sense, that it is cost effective for Missouri to retain experience, professional workers.