Missouri lawmakers set to debate state employee raises

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s administration is set to open debate on increased spending this year for state employee pay and other services. The Republican governor proposes adding $91 million in additional spending to give 5.5% raises to prison guards, social service workers and people who treat the mentally ill. Parson also calls for paying all state employees at least $15 an hour. The proposal is set for a hearing in the House Budget Committee Monday, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The pay raises are part of $5.3 billion in additional spending Parson is proposing for this year, a move possible because federal emergency relief dollars.