AREA LEGISLATORS COOL TO LARGE PAY INCREASES

JEFFERSON CITY -- Area legislators are joining many of their colleagues in expressing concern -- some even outrage -- over a proposal in Gov. Mel Carnahan's budget to increase salaries of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education employees by 7-12 percent.

Other state employees are scheduled to receive raises of 3 percent plus $200 in the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. But about 3,000 employees of the DESE are being recommended for more substantial pay hikes.

"That is so stupid, so backwards; I just can't believe they would contemplate something like that," said Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett. "What makes them think they are better than all other state employees? I don't understand. I think it is an extremely poor idea. All state employees should be treated the same way."

Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, predicted the raises would meet certain death in the budget process. He joined many colleagues in pointing out that large raises for one department are unfair to other state employees.

"We have people working in the Department of Social Services who are eligible for food stamps. It would be damn nonsense to give those people that kind of a raise," said Howard.

"It's certainly an eyebrow-raiser," said Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, a member of the education committee.

Kinder said the education panel has not yet discussed the raises, but it would be a point of discussion when Sen. Harold Caskey, D-Butler, chairman of the education committee, brings SB-676 to the floor for debate. That bill is designed to make corrections in SB-380, a major education reform and funding bill approved in the 1993 session.

A number of legislators are complaining that the increased pay raises for the education department's employees will be coming from increased revenue generated by SB-380 instead of going to local school districts.

"I have been concerned that something like 80 percent of the money in SB-380 is going for salaries," said Kinder. "If I am a senator who voted for SB-380 I am at the very least puzzled and possibly embarrassed by this."

Last week when the appropriations committee held hearings on the department's funding, Sen. Norman Merrell, D-Monticello, chairman of the panel, was critical of the effort. "It never fails," said Merrell. "Find some extra money and it goes to salaries."

House Budget Chairman Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, has also taken issue with the pay hikes. He said such large raises would be demoralizing to workers in other departments.

Education Commissioner Robert Bartman defended the raises. Bartman said his department is busy implementing the many policy changes mandated in SB-380 and is losing good employees who are taking jobs as principals and superintendents that pay more.

Rep. Marilyn Williams, D-Dudley, a member of the education committee, does not think having state education officials returning to local school districts is such a bad idea.

"I think we have too many people in the department and need more out doing hands-on work with the students," said Williams. "All people who work within the department should be banished to the classroom every few years to have a reality check."

Chris Sifford, communications director for the governor, said Carnahan took Bartman's advice to recommend the larger pay increases.

"The governor feels that in order to keep good employees, which you strive to do in state government, you have to pay them. This was part of our budget recommendation," said Sifford.

"Obviously we value all state employees, but there are differences in departments and agencies. There was an opportunity in the budget to recommend a larger increase and the governor agreed."

Williams said when she voted for SB-380 last year her intent was not "that the money be used in the state office. I felt like the additional money should be used in local control and in the local school districts."

Williams said she is surprised by the proposed raises but: "It does seem to be pretty common up here when any department gets any type of increase one of the first things they try for is raises in departments. But I think our schools are in such critical need the money should definitely stay local."

Thomason said he understands that Bartman can make a strong argument for giving his employees a large pay increase to keep them, but the same argument could be made in just about every department of state government.

Thomason predicted they would eventually be treated like everyone else.

Though he generally supports Carnahan on most issues, Thomason said this is an exception. "I disagree with him in this case very strongly," said Thomason, the House majority whip.

"I don't know if they figure with 380 passed they need to get in and take their lumps now, but my view is that won't work," said Howard. "Maybe there are some particular positions in the department that need to have pay increased, but we need to look at it on an individual basis.

"Just because we have some additional revenues because of Senate Bill 380, people did not vote those increases for department employees; they voted that for their local schools."

Howard said he is miffed by the attempt to raise department salaries substantially and views it as a slap at the legislature.

Said Howard: "When the legislature goes out on a limb to pass a piece of legislation to improve education like we did last year, it is kind of disappointing to see how some people want to take advantage of this for special gain. But we in the legislature will have the last say."