Love note from Jeff City

Greetings, My Fellow Missourians

As 2019 comes to a close and Missourians prepare to usher in the New Year, it’s important to remember that the past year has been a good one for the state in many ways. It was a year marked by strong economic growth and job creation, and consistently low unemployment. It was also a year that saw the General Assembly create tools that will prepare Missouri workers for the jobs of tomorrow, and invest in the state’s transportation system so that it will be able to meet the needs of future generations.

 As the year comes to an end, Missouri is fortunate to have only 3.1 percent unemployment across the state. This figure is one that has been consistently lower than the national average. Overall, the state has seen more than 37,000 new jobs created across key industries over the last year. Signs of Missouri’s healthy, growing economy can also be seen in the state’s revenue figures. To date the state has seen revenue growth of more than 7 percent, which equates to an additional $300 million in the state’s coffers when compared to the same time last year. Missouri’s revenue growth to this point is well ahead of what was predicted by the state’s consensus 

2019 was also a good year for education in Missouri. The legislature provided record funding for elementary and secondary education by once again fully funding the School Foundation Formula. Lawmakers also approved an increase in the core funding for most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities. This commitment to education funding has helped the state move closer to its higher education goal of seeing 60 percent of working-age adults earn a certificate or degree by 2025. As of 2019, the percentage is at 53.7, and Missouri has seen the raw number of college graduates increase by 11.6 percent over of the past eight years. This includes a 26 percent increase in technical and community college graduates,

Now as the people of Missouri say goodbye to 2019, they look ahead to what 2020 will hold for them. The Missouri General Assembly will convene on January 8 for the 2020 legislative session. Lawmakers will strive to make Missouri an even better place to live, work, and raise a family by continuing to focus on priority issues such as job creation, economic development, education, public safety and infrastructure.