Section IV Section 19

Constitution

Effective - 04 Nov 1971, see footnote   

  IV Section 19.  Department personnel — selection and removal — merit system — veterans' preference. — The head of each department may select and remove all appointees in the department except as otherwise provided in this constitution, or by law.  All employees in the state eleemosynary and penal institutions, and other state employees as provided by law, shall be selected on the basis of merit, ascertained as nearly as practicable by competitive examinations; provided that any honorably discharged member of the armed services of the United States who is a citizen of this state shall have preference in examination and appointment as prescribed by law.

­­--------

Source: Const. of 1945 (Amended October 5, 1971).

(2019) Restricting appropriations funding for the salary of specific administrative law judge based on that judge's date of appointment violates the separation of powers; the General Assembly may not compel an executive department, directly or indirectly, to fire a specific employee.  Rebman v. Parson, 576 S.W.3d 605 (Mo.).