Missouri Senators Reject Legislative Pay Increase
The Missouri Senate this week passed House Concurrent Resolution 4 to reject an increase in legislative pay. Back in the 1990s, a constitutional change created the Missouri Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials. Every two years, this independent panel of Missouri taxpayers meets to discuss salary recommendations for the legislature, statewide elected officials and judges. Without action by state lawmakers, the increase would have automatically taken effect July 1. In order to successfully turn down the pay raises, the General Assembly had to pass HCR 4 by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate, and the resolution had to be accepted by Feb. 1.
At a time when the state is struggling to adequately fund K-12 and higher education and maintain our roads and bridges, the last thing we need to do is dedicate over a million taxpayer dollars to provide increased salaries for elected officials. It is also very difficult for me to justify giving myself a pay increase when Missouri’s state employees are pulling in the lowest salaries in the nation. In every corner of the state, our corrections officers, mental health workers, transportation employees and teachers are working each and every day to keep us safe, teach our children and care for those who need it most. We must find a way to assist the valuable, hardworking men and women who keep our state departments and agencies up and running.
Finally, the Legislature is just getting started crafting the Fiscal Year 2018 budget. By all accounts, hundreds of millions in budget cuts will have to be made in order to balance the budget. Two weeks ago, the House voted to turn down the commission’s recommended pay increases. This week, I was proud to join 24 of my Senate colleagues in doing the same.
As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.