JEFFERSON CITY — During the governor’s State of the State Address for the 2019 legislative session, he expressed that workforce development and improving the state’s infrastructure were his top priorities. These are two policy issues that I completely support because improvements in these specific areas will not only benefit residents of rural Missouri, but also aim to make our state a better place to live, work and raise a family.
While discussing workforce development, the governor introduced the concept of industry recognized credentials as part of Missouri’s high school curriculum. I support this initiative because it shortens the time period between when a student graduates and when they enter the workforce. For example, if a student took up welding in high school, those records of completion would transfer to companies of interest opening up job opportunities right after high school. If we plan to develop a qualified workforce, we must reform our state’s education system. These two policy initiatives go hand in hand.
At the end of the day, Missouri must develop an educated, qualified workforce if it hopes to compete in the global marketplace.
When it comes to moving our state forward, I believe we need to continue to look at ways to consolidate state government. A recent meeting with the Missouri Department of Economic Development revealed that there have been 500 non-essential employees on staff for the past two years. As a result, $17 million per year has been unnecessarily drained from our state budget, funds that we could have used in other areas of state government, like education. I don’t believe the primary function of government is to create a workforce. These wasteful actions only drive up the cost of state services while providing nearly zero benefit to taxpayers.
I also support the governor’s proposal to address the infrastructure needs of our state in a nontraditional sense, which includes funding for the expansion of high-speed internet. I certainly support the governor’s call to expand access to high-speed internet, especially in school districts in the Northeastern part of the state. The lack of high-speed internet is certainly one of the obstacles for current and new business owners in our community. In the concrete business, we rely on various types of technology to keep us in front of the emerging trends in our industry. Businesses must be able to keep up with the world around them in order to continue to grow and prosper in our technology-driven economy.
The policies that have been outlined by governor will take a concerted effort from everyone involved in the legislative process. If we want to see reform throughout our state, it cannot just be up to one chamber, agency or director to lead the charge. We need to make tough decisions that align with the values of all Missourians.
As always, I appreciate hearing your comments, opinions and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-7985. You may also email me at cindy.o’laughlin@senate.mo.gov.