TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has approved a proposal to give uniformed corrections officers in state prisons a 2.5 percent pay raise later this year.

The Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to add $2.4 million for the pay raises to the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The vote came as the committee considered other proposals for closing a projected deficit of nearly $200 million in the next state budget.

Several committee members said the state needs to boost pay for corrections officers because the turnover rate at state prisons is almost 30 percent. Their starting hourly pay is $13.61.

But other committee members said turnover is high at state mental hospitals and in other agencies. They said lawmakers need to eliminate inefficiencies in government to make broader raises possible.