Missouri Gov. Mike Parson laid out his 2023 agenda in his State of the State address to the General Assembly.
His legislative priorities include widening and rebuilding the I-70 corridor; providing an 8.7 percent cost of living adjustment for all state workers; and increasing the shift differential to $2 per hour pay for congregate care facility workers during high-demand evening and graveyard shifts. His plans also include $22 million to hire 100 Children’s Division workers to focus on measures that prevent children from coming into the state’s care.
Parson’s Infrastructure plan would invest $859 million and expands six lanes from St. Louis to Warrenton and Kansas City to Odessa, and extend both east and west from Columbia. His proposal aims to help reduce traffic injuries and deaths, in addition to improving interstate travel.
- On workforce development and education, he proposed $117 million to fund the foundation formula, $233 million for school transportation needs, $32 million to expand the Career Ladder Program and continuing the program that raised teacher pay to $38,000 per year. His proposal also would expand prekindergarten options to all 4-year-old children eligible for free and reduced priced lunch at no cost.
- Regarding public safety, Parson proposed $50 million for school safety grants for the state’s schools to bolster security on their campuses, in addition to promoting the success of the Missouri Blue Scholarship by mentioning that it has awarded scholarships to 147 individuals to attend law enforcement training academies in the state.
- On health and mental health care, Parson requested an expansion to the youth behavioral health liaison program, in addition to designating $4.3 million for the implementation of a new plan to address Missouri’s high maternal death rate
He concluded his speech by echoing the theme of his State of the State address, “We are not done yet.”
–Dwight Widaman | MV