Alisa Nelson, Author at Missourinet

Missouri House narrowly passes private schooling tax credit bill

February 26, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

After years of attempts, the GOP-controlled state House has passed a bill that would allow donors to provide scholarships for students to attend a private Missouri K-12 school. In return, those donors would get state tax credits equal to the amount of their gift. The scholarships could also be used for tutoring, school supplies, and computer gear. The plan could cost the state up to $75 million annually.

Rep. Phil Christofanelli (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

House Bill 349 passed Thursday with 82 “yes” votes – the minimum number required for approval. There were 71 Representatives who opposed it. The House of Representatives is currently made up of 162 members.

Under the bill, students who would be prioritized would be those with special needs and those who qualify for free and reduce price school meals.

Only students living in a Missouri city with a population of 30,000 or more would qualify. For instance, students who attend catholic schools in Missouri towns like Moberly, Mexico, Monroe City, and Marshall would not be eligible for these scholarships.

Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, is sponsoring the measure.

“I don’t feel like we have ever tried anything new,” he said during debate. “We have heard a lot about how we could do more in this area or maybe we should look over here and just try to invest more in this particular program. And maybe all that’s true. But I believe it’s time to give several thousand children a chance at something new because what we’ve been doing, I think everyone has seen, has not been working.”

He referred to testimony about a Springfield girl, named Izzy, with disabilities who left her public school because it did not have wheelchair accommodations. Christofanelli said Izzy now attends a nearby catholic school that meets her needs.

“That’s not an indictment of her public school,” said Christofanelli. “Public schools have a broad mission and their goal is to try to serve everyone as best they can. The beauty of our system is that the private sector can accommodate sometimes special needs better than the government can because they have a different incentives structure.”

Rep. Doug Clemons, D-St. Ann, opposed the legislation.

“I’ve got to tell you, I just don’t give a rat’s left toe nail about private institutions. I was sent here by the people to work for the people on public institutions. Anybody sitting in one of these chairs has a responsibility to public institutions,” he said. “You know, I watched the testimony. I saw Izzy’s mom give her testimony. I believe every word that she said about her interaction with her public school and I think it’s a shame. I think it’s a shame that we have lost our responsibility in giving that school the resources it needs to meet her needs. That’s our responsibility.”

The legislation would also require the state to fund at least 40% of the projected amount to bankroll transportation aid to K-12 public schools. Clemons has a problem with that piece.

House Speaker Rob Vescovo (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

“We sit here and we talk about putting a trigger of 40% for transportation funding for our children as a goal, as if that’s some victory. What’s the matter with us? It should be funded 100%,” he said. “We’ve got rural children trying to get to school and these districts have to make up that money in their budget. A private institution is not responsible to us – not beholden to us. We have to meet the minimums for our children. A free market system is fine. Let those people be competitive. That’s fine. If they are more competitive than a public school, then let them earn their money.”

The state is currently funding K-12 transportation at about 33%. Up to 75% of these costs can be covered by the state.

In a rare floor speech, House Speaker Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, was fired up. He said he dropped out of school when he was 16 years old.

“That was 28 years ago. What has changed in education in the state of Missouri in 28 years? Twenty-eight years, Mr. Speaker. What has changed? The only thing that has changed is we’ve gotten more and more special interests in this building that care about their own special interests. How are we going to fix our kids if we don’t do something,” he shouted.

He said there is nothing more positive in criminal justice reform than education.

“Why can’t we get these kids when they are 10 and 12 and 14 – when they need us to grab them and put them in a better learning environment than worrying about putting them in jail when they’re 16, 17, 18, and 19? I don’t want to grow my prisons. I want to grow my research department at Mizzou,” said Vescovo.

Rep. Allen Andrews, R-Grant City, was one of several Republicans who opposed the measure. Andrews is the House Republican Majority Whip.

Rep. Allen Andrews (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

“I believe we as Missourian citizens, have a moral obligation to provide a good and basic education to all of our youth, from the richest to the poorest to the most costly to educate and the least costly to educate. We bombard our public schools with new responsibilities, even with the unfortunate breakdown and the devastating fracturing of the family. We insist that our schools compensate for society’s failures and neglect, all the while we demand they meet rising academic expectation. In this chamber, our sensitivity toward political correctness here and at home, many times deters us from addressing the root cause, which is undeniably backed up by data that the family is the greatest institution ever created. School vouchers, open enrollment, charter expansion, education savings accounts, or a plethora of other ideas cannot substitute and will absolutely not address the challenges faced within our public school system and will not accomplish that moral obligation of providing a good and basic education to all students. Students, our most vulnerable students, will be left in an educational system where funding has trickled away when the money follows the child. For those children that are left behind, for the least of these children, I stand today as their voice, asking that we stop the back and forth rhetoric and begin to address the root cause and begin to build legislation of substance for all children in this state – not only those with the ability to choose. Any attempt to chip away at the financial infrastructure of our public school system will have a negative effect on our ability to provide every young Missourian equal access to a good education.”

The legislation heads to the Senate for consideration.

Missouri vaccination update: Get ready teachers, childcare centers, grocery workers

February 25, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The next tier of Missouri’s coronavirus vaccination plan will be activated on March 15. That means all teachers, faculty, and staff in public, private, and nonprofit pre K-12 will become eligible. So will state licensed childcare center workers, some food production employees, as well as grocery and convenience stores workers.

Missouri is currently vaccinating residents in Phase 1A, Phase 1B – Tier 1, Phase 1B – Tier 2.

During a press briefing today, Gov. Mike Parson says the next group to become eligible, Phase 1B – Tier 3, allows 550,000 additional Missourians to get vaccinated.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on February 4, 2021 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

“Tier 3 represents another very important part of our society,” says Parson. “They are the workers in many of the industries we depend on each day to keep our day-to-day lives operating normally.”

Earlier this month, Missouri’s 2017-2021 Teachers of the Year sent a letter to state Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams asking him to prioritize educators and support staff for immediate coronavirus vaccinations. Missouri’s K-12 schools have been operating for months with at least partial in-person education.

The following is a statement from the Chair of Missouri’s Education Roundtable, Dr. Doug Hayter:

“The Education Roundtable, representing eight major education organizations in Missouri, appreciates Governor Parson’s announcement allowing educators to begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. Getting educators vaccinated as soon as possible is an important step toward keeping educators in the classroom and providing our students with in-person instruction.”

Missouri’s Education Roundtable is made up of the American Federation of Teachers (Missouri), the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals, the Missouri Association of School Administrators, the Missouri National Education Association, the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals, the Missouri School Boards’ Association, the Missouri State Teachers Association, and the Missouri PTA.

Parson says vaccine supply remains limited, but he expects slow and steady increases.

“We heard news this week that the pharmaceutical companies are increasing their production,” says Parson. “The federal government is planning to increase our allotment and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to be approved at any time.”

The governor says he expects that Missouri will be able to order vaccine from Johnson & Johnson by early next week.

He says if supply continues to improve, Parson says he thinks Phase 2 of Missouri’s vaccination plan will begin mid-April.

A press release today from Parson’s office says the state also continues to move forward with regional mass vaccination events. There have been 68 completed across Missouri, and more than 66,500 Missourians have received an initial vaccine dose at one of these events.

The release says targeted teams in St. Louis and Kansas City have completed 24 vaccine clinics with more planned in the coming days and weeks. These teams serve vulnerable populations in communities with limited access to health care.

For more information about the next tier of eligible Missourians, click here.

Missouri Senate puts off vote on giant K-12 education package

February 24, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

After about twelve hours of debate, the Missouri Senate refrained from voting overnight on a contentious K-12 public education package. There was some confusion towards the end that appeared to ultimately lead to the plan getting shelved – at least for now.

Several changes were made over the course of the day and night. As Senate bill 55 stands now, here is what it would do:

Missouri Senate

*Allow charter schools in any school district located within a charter county as well as in any Missouri city with a population greater than 30,000 people. Under the bill, charter schools could open in more than 50 districts statewide.

*Let parents use tax credits on things like private school tuition, school supplies, and tutoring. That portion could cost up to $50 million annually. This piece could only begin once state funding for K-12 public school transportation funding reaches 40%. According to Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, the current transportation funding level is at roughly 33%. The amount of tax credits available would also be tied to how much state aid is designated to schools annually.

*Cap Missouri superintendents’ total compensation at three times the average teacher pay within their district.

*Strip a district of state aid if it is a member of a statewide activities association that bans a home school student from participating in activities offered by the district or requires a home school student to attend the school to participate in any activity.

*State Board of Education members would be restricted to one, eight-year term.

*Penalize school districts if they do not get written permission from a parent or a legal guardian prior to handing out course materials or teaching about human sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases.

Two provisions originally in the bill were stripped out – a process to recall school board members and giving state aid for full-time equivalent online learning enrollment to a MOCAP virtual school provider.

School choice supporters have pointed to increased educational challenges students and families have dealt with during the coronavirus pandemic as a leading reason to not wait any longer to pass school choice measures.

Rowden has been working vigorously to get the bill passed.

“Everybody knows my passion for this and everybody knows I’d run through a wall to try to get this thing done,” said Rowden.

During floor debate, he said his sister is a principal at a religious school in Columbia.

Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, supports the bill.

“I don’t want to disparage teachers in any way shape or form because I think a lot of teachers feel the same way we do in that we have to be able to have that competition. We have to be able to kind of upset the apple cart in order to incentivize that they do better,” Brattin said. “I think a lot of these teachers receive a lot of misinformation to think that bills like this are literally the impending doom upon education as we know it.”

Brattin said from the time he started in the House to the time he left that chamber, he says the increase in state funding to education was more than $100 million.

“Yet all I ever heard was how horrible we were, that we weren’t fully funding, that we weren’t up to par where we should be,” Brattin said.

Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, agrees.

“Our total budget here in Missouri is $30 billion. We could increase it to $100 billion and spend all that money on education,” said Koenig. “In five years from now, they’ll be crying that there’s not enough money.”

Koenig said traditional public schools do not work for all students.

“It’s not saying that every public school is bad,” said Koenig. “Actually, the opposite. A lot of these public schools are doing a great job. But for that 3%, they might something different – something that’s not offered at a traditional public school.”

During debate, Koenig also blasted several schools he said were underperforming.

Sen. Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, said she understands being responsive to what she describes as a once-in-a-century pandemic. But she said the Legislature should be careful.

“We are charged with making sure that we do everything we can to support the kids who haven’t had the greatest educational experience in the last year. I think this is an opportunity to reflect on what’s working and to see where there are opportunities for transformation. But that is one piece of a much broader discussion about how we’re going to approach education policy in the state for generations to come. I just don’t want to get too tied up in the fact that as a result of this event, that now we have to change everything in a way that’s just entirely reactionary,” said Arthur.

Bill sponsor, Republican Cindy O’Laughlin of Shelbina, said she agrees.

“I don’t think that we are suggesting that just because of this event, we have to change everything,” she said. “But I do think that this event has kind of exposed the differing levels of commitment and the differing levels of commitment to excellence and to student outcomes.”

O’Laughlin, the Senate Education Committee chair, sang a similar tune as Koenig.

“I just believe that sometimes a certain method works for some people, but it doesn’t work for others,” she said. “I don’t know why we would want to lock people into one thing, recognizing that maybe it just doesn’t work for them.”

Arthur said there are ways to create options without undermining the parts working in the current system.

Another opposing argument raised by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) is that charter schools should have the same accountability measures as traditional public schools.

Under current law, charter schools are allowed in Kansas City, St. Louis, and any unaccredited Missouri public school district. Charter schools are independent public schools that receive public and private money.

The MSBA also says that taxpayer-funded tax credits should not go to private schools if the schools are not held to the same accountability standards as their traditional public school counterparts.

To view Senate Bill 55, click here.

Several mega coronavirus vaccination events planned this week in Missouri

February 23, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Mass coronavirus vaccination event photo courtesy of Missourinet affiliate KREI in Farmington

Several state-organized high-volume coronavirus vaccination clinics are happening today in Benton, Morgan, Ozark, McDonald, Laclede, and Lewis Counties in Missouri. Other events are scheduled to be held Wednesday in Bollinger, Mercer, Benton, and McDonald Counties. Mercer County has a mass vaccination clinic scheduled on Thursday and Putnam County has one set for Saturday in Unionville from 9-6 p.m.

Some Missouri counties are also holding immunization events this week for coronavirus booster shots only.

Eligible Missourians can get vaccinated, including first responders, health care workers, long-term care center workers and patients, and those 65 years or older or with certain health conditions.

Times, locations, and sign-up are available by going to mostopscovid.com/events.

Missouri prison system could move officer training from classroom to real-world setting

February 22, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

In 2019, Gov. Mike Parson closed a prison in northwest Missouri’s Cameron. Most staff and inmates transferred to the other prison in town – Western Missouri Correctional Center. Now, Parson wants to reopen the Crossroads Correctional Center and turn it into a training academy for correctional officers.

Gov. Mike Parson

During a House Budget Committee hearing, Trevor Foley with the state Department of Corrections, says the officers would have a better sense of the surroundings they would be in.

“Currently, all of our institutional staff receive their training in a classroom setting,” says Foley. “We believe that we can improve the quality of our training by training them in an environment that looks like the one they’re going to be working in. You’d be able to learn how to do a cell search or a cell extraction from an actual cell.”

Joplin Republican Representative Lane Roberts, a former Missouri Department of Public Safety Director, says he wholeheartedly endorses the plan.

“The idea is to give the officers basically a real setting experience, so that when they do find themselves faced with this, they will know not only what to do but have some sense of the surroundings they’ll be operating in. For whatever it’s worth, I have to tell you I think this is an excellent use of any of our surplus,” says Roberts.

The proposal is part of the governor’s $34.1 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning in July.

Foley thinks the return on investment would be net positive within five years.

“A significant portion of the expenses of our training operations are lodging for staff that have to go to one of our three regional centers. We believe that by converting one of the housing units at the facility to residential space, the trainings will be able to stay on site and that will significantly reduce our lodging costs,” says Foley.

The Missouri prison system’s construction crew would make the renovations.

The governor’s budget proposal also includes a 2% pay increase for state workers beginning next January.

“Historically, retention has been a problem. That is why the department had our retention pay plan two years. What we have really seen in the last year has been a significant struggle in recruiting new people into the class. So, this is designed to move the entry level salaries up to aid in recruitment,” says Foley.

The fiscal plan would give an additional 2% pay increase for three cook classes and an extra 3% salary boost for three custody classes, beginning next January.

Parson’s budget proposal would close half of housing units within Missouri women’s prison

February 18, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The women’s prison in northeast Missouri’s Vandalia could have about half of its housing units permanently closed. Trevor Foley, with the state Department of Corrections (DOC), says Gov. Mike Parson’s new state budget proposal would make the change. Gov. Parson’s proposed $34.1 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning in July includes about $802 million for the Department of Corrections.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on December 2, 2020 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

During a state House Budget Committee hearing this week, he says some of the inmates at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia have already been transferred to the women’s prison in northwest Missouri’s Chillicothe.

“No one has lost their jobs, there’s been no layoffs,” he says. “And we have significant capacity in our female beds. Our other female institution is probably arguably our best staffed institution in the state. So, we were able to consolidate spots into that facility and close roughly half of this one.”

Karen Pojmann, spokeswoman for the department, tells Missourinet the Vandalia prison has been battling major staffing shortages. The change makes the environment safer for staff and inmates.

Missouri’s current women’s prison population is about 1,800 but the state has the capacity to hold about 3,000. The Vandalia institution’s current population is roughly 772. Chillicothe Correctional Center’s is about 1,050.

Within the past year, the clothing factory at the Vandalia prison was also closed and is in the process of moving to a men’s prison in eastern Missouri’s Pacific.

Vocational (career and tech) education programs, higher education programs and special programs will continue at Vandalia. Adult basic education, special education and high school equivalency test preparation will be offered only at Chillicothe.

“Essentially, this means Vandalia won’t house women who haven’t yet earned high school diplomas. The primary reason for this change isn’t related to cost saving; it’s driven by the difficulty in filling academic teacher positions in the Vandalia area. Because we have space at Chillicothe, it’s much more efficient to move women who need adult basic education to a location where the services are sustainable and staff are available,” says Pojmann.

The full year savings from the permanent closure of 981 general population beds at Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correction Center in Vandalia is $5.4 million and 95 full-time equivalent jobs. The department wants the savings, along with other savings the department has found, to be reinvested in:

• Pay plans – market minimums for DOC staff and a DOC recruitment increase the governor announced in his State of the State address

• An expansion of the Division of Probation & Parole’s Officer Safety and Arrest Pilot program, including training and equipment for probation and parole officers

• Conversion of the former Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron into a training academy, where custody staff can train in a setting similar to the setting in which they’ll be working

• A learning management system for staff training, using online modules

• An expansion of the department’s heavy equipment crew. The crew members complete construction projects within the prison system.

Pojmann says temporary housing unit closures for maintenance projects and staffing shortages may continue as needed, but she says there are no other permanent closures planned.

The Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia opened in 1998.

Missouri could soon catch up on its jail reimbursement debt

February 18, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Gov. Mike Parson’s FY2022 state budget proposal requests $58 million in hopes of getting Missouri completely out of debt in county jail reimbursements. For years, the state has not designated enough funding to pay counties and the city of St. Louis for part of a defendant’s entire local jail stay if the individual ends up going to state prison. Over the past couple years, the Missouri Legislature has been working to dig the state out of this hole.

Missouri Capitol (Photo courtesy of Alisa Nelson, Missourinet)

Missouri is the only known U.S. state that pays its counties and the city of St. Louis for pre-sentencing jail costs.

During a House Budget Committee hearing Wednesday, Trevor Foley, with the Missouri Department of Corrections, says the governor’s budget request would help the program catch up on overdue jail bills.

“That projection is based on looking at FY20 and the first two quarters of FY21 and then factoring in a COVID bounce back basically for the requests for reimbursement to go back up a little bit. And hopefully by the end of FY22, we will have the arrearage gone,” says Foley. “I will point out that this is a very volatile program. In FY21, we received $52 million in total requests. In FY20, we received $39 million in total requests. It is very difficult to project what we are going to receive in requests from a year-to-year basis.”

The state currently pays county jails about $22.58 per day, but the county’s overall daily cost to house a defendant is much higher. Karen Pojmann, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Corrections, tells Missourinet the Missouri Sheriff’s Association conducted a survey a year ago and reported to the State Auditor that the actual cost ranged from $25.45 to $110 per day, with an average of $49 per day.

Rep. Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, says she wants the state to pick up more of the local tab.

“The actual cost to house a prisoner is an average of $60 a day,” she says. “So, they go in the hole, every prisoner, every day, all year long. I would like to see that change.”

The governor’s request would also cover certain costs to transfer those offenders.

Previous stories:

Is Missouri sending the right people to prison? https://www.missourinet.com/2017/08/03/is-missouri-sending-the-right-people-to-prison/

(VIDEO) State owes counties $19 million in jail payments; Missouri sheriff feels the pain: https://www.missourinet.com/2017/09/25/video-state-owes-counties-19-million-in-jail-payments-missouri-sheriff-feels-the-pain/

Missouri falls six months behind in paying county jail bills: https://www.missourinet.com/2017/10/02/missouri-falls-six-months-behind-in-paying-county-jail-bills/

Legislator thinks Missouri should overhaul county jail payment system: https://www.missourinet.com/2017/10/09/legislator-thinks-missouri-should-overhaul-county-jail-payment-system/

Nearly 1,000 people died in Missouri traffic crashes in 2020

February 18, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The State Highway Patrol reports 989 lives were lost in Missouri traffic crashes in 2020, up from 881 in 2019. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) says the preliminary reporting indicates a 12% increase compared to 2019.

“Nearly every fatal crash that occurs is preventable,” says Missouri State Highway Patrol Public Information and Education Director, Cpt. John Hotz. “Over 90% of these crashes were the result of someone simply making a poor decision, primarily: driving too fast, driving distracted or driving impaired. Many of those killed were not wearing a seat belt.”

MoDOT says despite traffic volumes in the state being significantly lower for most of 2020, Missouri experienced its largest number of traffic fatalities since 2007. Notable increases were in unbuckled and speed related deaths, with both experiencing about a 25% jump from the previous year.

MoDOT says in 2020, 67% of drivers and passengers killed in car crashes were unbuckled and preliminary numbers indicate 389 people were killed in crashes involving excessive speed or driving too fast for conditions. In addition, there were 126 pedestrians killed in 2020 –the largest number of pedestrian deaths in Missouri’s recorded history.

“The pandemic reminded us even if a large portion of vehicles are removed from the roadways, poor driving behaviors still have significant and often deadly consequences.” says MoDOT State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Nicole Hood. “We continue to work diligently in achieving the ultimate goal – zero traffic fatalities in Missouri. This year, we’re excited to introduce Missouri’s new strategic plan, a tool we hope will help us eventually reach that goal.”

Missouri has rolled out a new highway safety plan, called Show-Me Zero, Driving Missouri Toward Safer Roads. The effort includes four key focus areas to help make a difference: occupant protection (seat belts, car seats and helmets), distracted driving, speed and aggressive driving, and impaired driving.

It includes strategies for families and individuals as well as groups such as schools, businesses, local public agencies, law enforcement, health organizations, and statewide officials.

The plan can be viewed in its entirety at www.savemolives.com or by calling MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT.

Missouri native, talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died

February 17, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Southeast Missouri native and conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died. Limbaugh, of Cape Girardeau, had been battling lung cancer.

According to Limbaugh’s website, he began his broadcasting career at a radio station in Cape Girardeau and eventually worked at stations in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh.

He took a brief break from the radio business and joined the Kansas City Royals as director of Group Sales, and later as Director of Sales and Special Events. Then in 1983, he served as a political commentator at KMBZ in Kansas City.

One year later, he returned to the dial and became a radio talk show host for a station in Sacramento, California. After drawing the attention of ABC Radio, Limbaugh moved to New York City in 1988 to begin his national radio show.

In 2012, Limbaugh was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. A bust of Limbaugh is sitting in the hall on the third floor of the Missouri Capitol.

Missouri U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, both Republicans, issued statements today about the death of Limbaugh.

“From his first job in high school as a radio personality in Cape Girardeau to the EIB Network, Rush Limbaugh changed the way Americans talked about issues every day. He reshaped talk radio and became one of the most powerful conservative voices in our country, but always stayed grounded in his Missouri roots and Midwest values. I, along with millions of others, will miss hearing his unique perspective,” said Blunt.

“A proud son of Missouri, Rush Limbaugh was a voice for the voiceless. He changed talk radio, but more importantly, Rush changed the conversation to speak up for the forgotten, and challenge the establishment. He lived the First Amendment and told hard truths that made the elite uncomfortable, but made sure working men and women had a seat at the table. Erin and I are praying for the Limbaugh family,” said Hawley.

Limbaugh was 70 years old.

Missouri senator says state continues to devalue higher education

February 17, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri House Budget Committee is scheduled to hear today Gov. Mike Parson’s FY22 state budget proposal for the state Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The governor wants funding to return to pre-pandemic levels for the state’s colleges and universities.

State Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, speaks on the Missouri House floor on March 28, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, says state funding provided to Missouri’s colleges and universities is almost identical to what the state gave to them in 1999. He says Missouri continues to devalue higher education – from trade schools to the top-of-the-line institutions. Razer wants the state to boost funding to them to help ensure that every student can afford to reach their full potential – regardless of where they are from.

“That next great neurosurgeon is out there somewhere, and it may not be in a rich neighborhood,” he says. “She may be on a farm somewhere. She may be in a trailer home somewhere. She may be living in an inner city in a crime-ridden neighborhood, but we have to, as a state, make sure that we aren’t pigeon-holing people to stay in their station in life.”

Razer says in 1999, 70% of the University of Missouri-Columbia’s budget was from state funding. Today, about 20% of the university’s budget is made up of state funding.

“The difference from that 70 to 20% has to be made up,” says Razer. “It’s made up partly through fundraising that the University of Missouri has been very successful at. But the majority of that is made up through tuition and fees on students and families.”

According to Razer, additional funding will help to ensure colleges and universities are world-class and affordable for all students. He cites Georgia’s scholarship program that works with Georgia students to make in-state college a reality for them.

“Their population is growing. Their citizenry is better educated,” he says. “They are attracting the businesses of tomorrow. The same is true when you look at other states that are growing – when you look at North Carolina, when you look at Texas. They are making investments in their people, and their infrastructure, and their institutions.”

Razer says Missouri students are “leaving in droves” to attend colleges and universities in Kansas, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. He says some of these states are offering large discounts.

“I think it’s the University of Arkansas just offers in-state tuition to Missouri residents to go to the University of Arkansas. Their state better funds the university so it’s cheaper for kids to go to Arkansas than it is to go to Missouri,” says Razer.

State funding also impacts the ability of Missouri colleges and universities to recruit faculty and staff.

Razer says Missouri is doing a good job of recruiting students from the Chicago area, and therefore a few more arguments over the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.