Gov. Parson holds ceremonial bill signing in Cape Girardeau

Gov. Mike Parson performed a ceremonial bill signing Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau for a supplementary budget that grants wage increases to state employees.

The governor described the raises as "nothing but well deserved."

Parson signed dozens of replica bills of HB 14 — which he formally signed into law Feb. 22 — while flanked by a drove of the very employees who will benefit from the 8.7% wage increase. Under the $151 million allocation, congregate care staff — such as hourly employees at the Veterans Home — will also see a $2 per hour shift differential.

The increases will be reflected on Friday, March 31, paychecks.

State officials are hoping the law will also help with recruitment and retention in the state employment ranks. Currently, Missouri has 7,000 openings and a near 30% turnover rate at the state level.

Missouri teachers are among those getting a pay increase. At the beginning of the year, Missouri ranked at the bottom in the U.S. in baseline teacher pay. Parson said in his State of the State address in January that he wants to put more money toward the career ladder program for teachers, a move that appears to have bipartisan support.

In brief remarks during the event Tuesday, Parson said Missouri was able to weather recent storms such as the COVID-19 pandemic because of the work and dedication of state employees.

"I may not see you everyday but I can tell you this, all the battles and things that we've been through, we couldn't have gotten through it without state employees," Parson said.

This is not the first pay raise state employees have gotten with Parson as the chief executive of Missouri. The governor has overseen around 20% worth of increases since taking office, including a 7.5% pay raise in 2022.

Also in HB 14, $20 million was allocated for school safety grants, mileage reimbursement for state employees was increased by 10 cents per mile — from 55 cents to 65 cents — and $2.3 million went to mental health facility improvements, among other things.