
Governor Parson this week issued his state of the state address to members of the Missouri General Assembly, his cabinet, and members of the Missouri Supreme Court. During the address, he offered his vision for the upcoming legislative session and his spending plan for FY 2023. He stated that Missouri’s economy is strong today and will be stronger tomorrow as he outlined his plan for spending a state budget surplus brought about by increased state tax revenues and federal funds sent to Missouri in response to the pandemic.
His proposed budget of $47.3 billion represents an approximately $15 billion increase from recent years. Included in his proposed budget is a pay increase of 5.5% for state workers, funds to modernize Missouri’s state computer system, increases in pay rates for healthcare workers and childcare providers, increased funding for autism and mental health, additional funds for infrastructure improvements including increasing broadband access for underserved areas, and increased investments in higher education. More details about the Governor’s budget, along with the various state departments’ budget requests can be found here.