Governor Mike Parson delivered Tuesday the 2023 State of the State address to the Missouri General Assembly. The theme for this year’s speech is, “We are not done yet,” which builds upon continuing what his administration began in 2019. His speech focused on infrastructure, workforce and education, mental health and health care, “government reform”, and public safety.
In conjunction with the State of the State address is the release of the governor’s state budget year 2024 proposal. The price tag amounts to $50.5 billion.
His legislative priorities include widening and rebuilding the I-70 corridor, providing an 8.7% 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 laid out in his State of the State speech would invest $859 million and expands six lanes from St. Louis to Warrenton, Kansas City to Odessa, and extending both East and West from Columbia. His proposal aims to help reduce traffic injuries and deaths, in addition to improving interstate travel.
.@GovParsonMO arrives and has begun his penultimate address to the #moleg. Live coverage available on @Missourinet pic.twitter.com/98CY9PYIqA
— Joey Parker (@NomadicNewsman) January 18, 2023
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 pre-kindergarten options to all four-year-old children eligible for free and reduced priced lunch at no cost.
Regarding Public Safety, Governor 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 Show-Me 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.”
Click here to view the FY2024 Budget.
