Bill Text: MO HCR32 | 2011 | Regular Session | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Establishes a Joint Interim Committee on State Employee Wages to address the need to increase Missouri's ranking as 50th worst in the nation in state employee compensation

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-05-12 - Adopted (H) [HCR32 Detail]

Download: Missouri-2011-HCR32-Enrolled.html

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FIRST REGULAR SESSION

House Concurrent Resolution No. 32

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1246L.01T

 

            WHEREAS, Missouri's 57,000 state employees rank 50th out of the 50 states in their annual compensation, according to the most recent figures available from the United States Census Bureau; and

 

            WHEREAS, with an average salary of $38,184, the average state employee in Missouri earned 26% less than the United States average of $51,507; and

 

            WHEREAS, the three poorest states in the nation - West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas - all rank ahead of Missouri in state employee annual compensation; and

 

            WHEREAS, according to the United States Census Bureau, Missouri's full-time equivalent employment dropped 1.09%, and Missouri part-time employment dropped 8.47% from 2008 to 2009; and

 

            WHEREAS, for December 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor reported an unemployment rate of 9.5%, the 15th highest percentage in the nation; and

 

            WHEREAS, in his State of the State Address on January 19, 2011, Governor Nixon said that he has "cut state payroll by over 3,300 positions" since he took office in January 2009 and is recommending another 863 state employee positions be eliminated this year; and

 

            WHEREAS, Governor Nixon acknowledged that "All across state government, a leaner workforce is doing more with less."; and

 

            WHEREAS, if the recommended cuts are enacted in the 2012 fiscal year budget, Missouri's full-time employee payroll will drop to approximately 56,500 positions, with the largest reductions in the departments of Mental Health and Social Services; and

 

            WHEREAS, in asking state employees to "do more with less", it is vitally important that the State of Missouri attract and maintain a talented and dedicated workforce in order to best serve the needs of our citizens; and

 

            WHEREAS, one of the keys to attracting and maintaining a talented and dedicated workforce will be to raise the annual compensation of our state workforce so we are no longer ranked 50th among the 50 states in state employee compensation:

 

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-sixth General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby establish a Joint Interim Committee on State Employee Wages; and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Committee shall:

            (1) Compare the wages of Missouri state employees to the wages for state employees in other states;

            (2) Study and develop strategies for increasing the wages of Missouri's state employees so Missouri will no longer rank 50th among states regarding state worker wages;

            (3) Report its recommendations to the House Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee by December 31, 2011; and

            (4) Such other matters as the Joint Interim Committee may deem necessary in order to determine the proper course of future legislative and budgetary action regarding these issues; and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Committee shall be composed of the following ten members:

            (1) Two majority party members and one minority party member of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and Minority Leader of the House;

            (2) Two majority party members and one minority party member of the Senate, to be appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the Senate;

            (3) One representative from the Governor's Office;

            (4) One representative from the State Personnel Advisory Board; and

            (5) Two members of the public, with one to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one to be appointed by the President Pro Tem of the Senate; and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Interim Committee is authorized to function during the legislative interim between the First Regular Session of the Ninety-sixth General Assembly through December 31, 2011; and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Interim Committee may solicit input and information necessary to fulfill its obligations, including, but not limited to, soliciting input and information from any state department or agency the Joint Interim Committee deems relevant, and the general public; and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the staffs of Senate Appropriations, Senate Research, House Appropriations, House Research, and the Joint Committee on Legislative Research shall provide such legal, research, clerical, technical, and bill drafting services as the Joint Interim Committee may require in the performance of its duties; and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the actual and necessary expenses of the Joint Interim Committee, its members, and any staff assigned to the Joint Interim Committee incurred by the Joint Interim Committee shall be paid by the Joint Contingent Fund.

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