MO House to debate state budget this week

The Missouri House is expected to debate a 51-billion-dollar state budget proposal this week. 

The plan does not include a Democratic attempt to put 900-million-dollars towards boosting pay for workers who take care of Missourians with developmental disabilities. 

Staffing shortages have instead left some of these patients in jails and hospitals. 

State Representative Deb Lavender, of St. Louis County, attempted to boost the base pay from 15-to-21-dollars-per-hour.

State Representative Doug Richey, a Republican from Excelsior Springs, calls the proposal a “seismic increase” that he cannot support.