Parson touts strong Missouri economy in summer State of the State address

Although his term will end in about 17 months, Gov. Mike Parson said he’s “not done yet” when it comes to furthering workforce development, improving state infrastructure and fostering economic growth.

“While the return to the farm gets closer and closer and sounds better and better, trust me when I say, we're not done fighting for the people of the great state of Missouri,” Parson said.

In an annual event hosted by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Parson delivered his State of the State address – although this one had been updated from the speech he gave in January to include legislative wins in the General Assembly.

Statewide economic growth and opportunities

In 2022, businesses across the state invested almost $3 billion, while the workforce grew by more than 83,000 jobs. Missouri currently reports low unemployment at 2.6%, just 0.5% higher than the record low of 2.1% from June 2022.

Parson attributes this to the importance placed on getting Missourians back to work, and mentioned government efforts to reduce the number of people receiving social services.

Federal rules prohibited Medicaid enrollment verification during the pandemic, but those requirements just expired. Medicaid enrollment grew to nearly 1.5 million people in Missouri during this time, but it is estimated that over 200,000 could lose health care coverage.

Additionally, Parson hinted that the state is in the running for several billion dollar projects, but could not provide details as to their nature. The governor pointed to Missouri’s central location in the country and various modes of product transportation as reasons for attracting these projects.

“People are wanting to go to the middle of the United States because of the way our environment is,” Parson said. “Whether that’s the tax structure, whether it's utilities, whether it's the programs that we have, but people want to get their product all points in the United States.”

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I-44 to receive infrastructure improvements

Although funding specifically for I-44 was cut from the state budget, Parson assured the audience that I-70 wasn’t the only interstate getting an infrastructure overhaul.

This year’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program has nearly $14 billion in its budget. From those funds, the I-44 widening project from Glenstone to State Highway 65 will commence, as well as an environmental study for a six-lane widening and improvement plan for the entire interstate.

“In total, over the next five years, the Springfield metro area alone is receiving nearly $500 million in infrastructure projects, 536 miles of road and nearly 60 bridges for repair,” Parson said.

Parson said this investment is just the beginning of many more infrastructure overhauls to improve the state. However, he already expects complaints by next summer concerning the abundance of work zones that may interrupt travel for motorists.

“I'll tell you what, I'll gladly take those bruises all day long,” Parson said. “Because we're moving forward in this state and building a future that we can all be proud of.”

Advances in workforce development

Developing a skilled workforce has long been a goal for Parson and was part of his platform in the 2020 gubernatorial campaign. Since taking office, programs have been introduced to upskill workers and train new employees in skilled trades.

“We're number one in the United States of America for the job training programs in our state,” Parson said. “In fact, our Missouri One Start program has already helped train more than 130,000 workers for companies of all sizes, since its reform in 2019.”

Other workforce development programs have helped Missouri distinguish itself among other states, ranking ninth in the nation for its customized workforce training program.

“This is thanks to the programs we champion, like Fast Track, which has helped thousands of individuals gain a new skill in a high demand area,” Parson said. “And our MoExcels program, which has helped fund nearly 75 new employer driven workforce training programs on college campuses.”

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Investing in education at all levels

Although many bills aiding educators failed to pass in the General Assembly this year, Parson’s administration increased investment in K-12 education by over $700 million.

Also, teacher pay was boosted to a statewide minimum of $38,000, and transportation costs for students traveling to and from school were fully funded.

“This marks the second year in a row of our administration, and only the second time in nearly two decades that the state is stepping up to meet these obligations,” Parson said.

Higher education institutions will see investments of more than $350 million to provide core funding for improvement projects on college campuses. The governor also hopes to see a greater focus on preparing college students to enter the workforce.

“We need to really focus on what kids really need to know in the education arena, to be productive citizens when they get out of the university,” Parson said.

However, the governor feels that there is still much progress to be made towards investment in childcare services. Legislation supported by Parson to increase funding for childcare failed to pass in this year’s legislative session.

There are childcare deserts across the state, and some childcare services are expensive, which leave workers with a tough choice – go to work and pay high rates for childcare, or exit the workforce and stay home with their children.

“I don't want workers staying at home, because there is no adequate place to care for their kids, where they feel safe,” Parson said. “So there's a lot more to do on that.”

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Parson says funding is coming for I-44 improvements