Missouri House passes $46B spending plan as Senators look to boost teacher pay
The Missouri House on Thursday finalized its version of the state’s budget, leaving behind $1.8 billion in general tax revenues that Senators promise to tap into.
The $46.1 billion spending plan, for the fiscal year that begins July 1, is roughly one billion shy of Gov. Mike Parson’s recommendation that sought increases in teachers’ salaries and boosts to the state’s retirement system.
With the state flush, largely due to federal pandemic aid, House Democrats had argued that the extra money should be spent on teacher pay, school transportation and children’s psychiatric care. Republicans, who blocked several attempts to increase funding, insisted that the cash be saved for a rainy day.
Democrats sounded the alarm this week during a nine-hour floor discussion that the Missouri Senate would jump at a chance to spend the millions left on the table.
“If you think Senators aren’t going to spend that money, you must be new here,” House Minority Leader Rep. Crystal Quade told House members on Tuesday.
As the state budget heads to the other chamber, Senators from both parties said they planned to apply the surplus towards a host of issues, including infrastructure and teacher pay. The spending plan will likely head to the Senate floor in a few weeks.
“I do not think we will leave $1.8 billion on the bottom line. I can probably say that with some level of certainty,” Majority Leader Caleb Rowden told reporters Thursday.
Increasing the teacher pay minimum to $38,000 from $25,000 was among Parson’s priorities in his recommended $47.3 billion budget. While Missouri lags far behind national averages in paying its teachers, the House’s spending plan slashed the governor’s recommendation.
Lawmakers in the upper chamber appear willing to either restore some of the governor’s recommendations — including teacher pay — or find a middle ground.
“It’s the right thing to do. It’s the right policy,” Rowden said of boosting teacher pay.
Minority Leader John Rizzo said there wouldn’t be “any lack of ideas” for how to spend the $1.8 billion. Teacher pay raises would be a top priority for Senate Democrats, he said.
“We should be providing them with a living wage and something that they will not have to worry about making ends meet week to week,” he said.
