House panel wiping out hundreds of empty state jobs

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- House budget writers are eliminating hundreds of unfilled state jobs -- and the money that accompanies them -- as they look for ways to balance the budget.

The affected state agencies say the cuts would prevent them from hiring needed workers and remove their discretion to use money appropriated for the empty jobs for other expenses, such as overtime and outside contractors.

Rep. Brad Roark, who led the move to take the unfilled jobs off the books, said agencies should not be able to use money from staffing vacancies to cover overtime costs.

Rather, he said, they should justify such expenses separately.

"In tough budget times, we've got to take a look behind every corner," said Roark, R-Springfield.

The Republican-led House Budget Committee eliminated half of all state jobs vacant for at least three months when it started debating the state's spending plan earlier this month. On Monday, the committee voted to eliminate the other half.

In all, the committee agreed to abolish more than 500 full- and part-time jobs that have been vacant at least three months, accounting for about $20 million in funding.

Republicans plan later to add about $7.5 million to the budget for overtime pay for the departments of Social Services and Mental Health.

The Department of Corrections stands to have 112 jobs eliminated. Joseph Eddy, the department's budget director, said the agency needs those positions but has trouble filling them because many have high stress and low pay.

Democrats show concern

Some Democratic lawmakers said the cuts could have serious consequences.

"By trying to make do, you make do badly when you don't have enough money," said Rep. Barbara Fraser, D-St. Louis. "I'm not clear on how dangerous this is going to be."

Some Republicans countered that departments weren't using the money the way it was budgeted.

"To me, unfilled positions is just a way for the department to spend money any way they want to spend it," said Rep. Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield.

Also Monday, House Democrats criticized Republicans for the slow pace of work on the budget and for proposing cuts in the Medicaid health care program for the poor, elderly and disabled. Democrats called for the House to pass a budget by April 5 -- the date by which the House passed a budget two years ago while under Democratic control.

The House must pass the budget before the Senate can consider it.

"Never in the history of this state has the House leadership been so far behind on the budget," House Minority Leader Rick Johnson, of High Ridge, said at a news conference. "This failure of leadership is in a sense a hijacking of democracy."

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, R-Warson Woods, has said the House might not pass a budget until mid-April after getting a clearer picture of state revenues.

Johnson accused Republicans of "playing politics with the budget."

House Budget Committee Chairman Carl Bearden, R-St. Charles, said he hoped to wrap up work on the budget quickly, but it was unclear when the committee would send the budget to the full House.

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Budget bills are HB1001-1012.

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Missouri Legislature: http://www.moga.state.mo.us