A Focus on Jobs
As I travel around the 16th Senatorial District, I hear one complaint time and time again. It’s hard to find good workers. Even those who are willing to work often don’t have the skills needed to perform jobs in our technology-driven economy. I was pleased then to hear the governor talk about workforce development in his annual State of the State Address.
Speaking to a joint session of the House and Senate on Jan. 16, the governor claimed that Missouri must have smart, educated workers if it’s going to succeed, while also growing existing businesses and attracting new employers. Stressing partnerships with private businesses, the governor proposed several job training and tuition assistance programs to prepare workers for a transition from school or low-skilled jobs to more advanced careers.
The governor shared his vision for a $20 million workforce grant program he called “Fast Track.” This program would help adults, age 25 or older, pay for tuition to attend colleges or technical schools. Another proposal would make available $16 million for Missouri higher education institutions to develop employer-driven training programs. The governor also called for a $10 million Missouri One Start fund to help companies create jobs or expand their current operations.
It won’t do much good to improve our workforce if those workers can’t get to work or our roads are so bad that manufacturers and distributors don’t want to pass through the state. Missouri has one of the largest highway systems in America, but few states spend less on their roads.
Those of us that live along the Interstate 44 corridor understand the importance of a solid transportation infrastructure. Good highways are essential to business. Likewise, every parent who watches their child board a school bus worries about the safety of our bridges.
It was good to hear that the governor’s second priority was investment in infrastructure. The defeat of Proposition D in November took increased fuel tax money off the table. The challenge now is to come up with other ways to pay for roads and bridges. The governor wants to pay for repairs on 250 bridges across the state with $350 million in bond-based funding. This approach would free up transportation money for other projects MoDOT has in the works. This may not solve all our highway funding problems, but it should give lawmakers and transportation officials time to come up with a long-range plan.
I was also encouraged that the governor paid special attention to the needs of rural Missourians. He says he wants to fund a $50 million cost-sharing program to help cities and counties to fund their own infrastructure programs. He also called for $5 million dollars to supplement federal funding for high-speed broadband in rural areas.
The governor is calling for bold solutions to tough problems. Some of these programs will cost quite a bit of money, but all of them represent investment in Missouri’s future. Notably, the governor is not calling for any new taxes. In fact, he pledged to keep money in reserve, holding back $120 million dollars in case of unexpected expenses.
None of the governor’s proposals are set in stone. His ideas will be taken up by the House as they develop a budget for the next fiscal year. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what they come up with as the Senate gets a budget bill later in the session.
It’s my honor to serve as your senator for the 16th District. If you have questions or need any assistance, please call my office at 573-751-5713 or log onto my webpage at https://www.senate.mo.gov/brown for more information.