State government layoffs are on the way

(MissouriNet) — About 300 state workers are getting laid off and another 200 vacant positions will be eliminated. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports about 200 middle managers in the Department of Social Services and 30 in the Department of Mental Health are getting their jobs cut. State Budget Director Dan Haug (hogg) says the governor is also freezing some spending to deal with the revenue shortfall caused by the coronavirus.

(as said) “We feel that the amount that we’ve restricted – $448 million – is sufficient to balance the FY21 budget based on our most current projections,” says Haug. “We will monitor revenues throughout the year and if we feel confident that revenues will finish the year above our current projections, we have the ability to release some of these restrictions.”

The governor announced 11 million dollars in vetoes, including five million for maintenance of some low-volume highways and one million for the Harry Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence. Another 267,000 dollars for the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office to hire six more legal assistants has also been vetoed.