HB 1954 -- STATE EMPLOYEE SALARY INCREASES

SPONSOR:  Dixon

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Government Affairs by a vote of 7 to 0.

This bill increases state employee salaries at the beginning of
each fiscal year in an amount equal to the percentage change in
the federal Consumer Price Index, rounded to the nearest $100,
for the region containing the State of Missouri as established by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the United States
Department of Labor until the state government pay ranking is
equal to the income ranking by the federal department for all
Missouri income.  The salary adjustment will be funded and become
effective, unless the General Assembly disapproves by passage of
a concurrent resolution.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of $0 in
FY 2009, $37,053,870 in FY 2010, and $74,107,740 in FY 2011.
Estimated Cost on Other State Funds of $0 in FY 2009, $23,000,000
in FY 2010, and $46,000,000 in FY 2011.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that state employees really deserve
and need a raise, especially in the mental health and probation
fields.  The bill will make a tremendous difference in their
lives.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Dixon; Sterling
Brown, Service Employees International Union, Local #2000; Donna
Howard; and Bradley Harmon, Communication Workers of America,
Local #6355.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say that the turnover
costs for state employees are high, and this is not adequately
addressed in the fiscal note.

Testifying on the bill was Tom Newport, Communication Workers of
America.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:11 pm