Hello again!

It has been quite some time, over an entire year, since I have posted anything on this blog.  This posting finds life quite differently for me now...  I am no longer a Missouri State Representative, I now live in Washington state and am nursing full time.  I am still active in issues that are important to me, for example, I volunteer for a pro-life organization and will begin volunteering for another pro-life organization in the near future.  I am a PCO (precinct committee officer) for the county GOP where we now live and am still trying to learn what a PCO does, lol!  My husband is fully retired now, which has some great benefits, namely I no longer do all of the laundry or cook most of our meals! This has been a really nice change!!  We are also now empty nesters and grandparents! I think the empty nester and grand parenting have been the biggest changes in our life, well the move to Washington state was a pretty big change as well!

I feel compelled to begin blogging again to hopefully begin a discussion of issues in our country that I feel are important to be discussed.  I will share what my thoughts/opinions are, please take my posts for just that, my thoughts and opinions.  You may not always agree with me but that is okay!! We are all educated and intelligent people whom, in my belief, are quite capable of discussion issues, at times disagreeing but still ending the conversation in a respectful manner even if we agree to disagree.  I do feel that discussing issues is important, we do not debate issues very well these days and the statement in the Bible, “iron sharpens iron” shows that debating issues is important in helping us all grow and really examine what we believe and why we believe it.

I will close this blog post for now, just wanted to start things off with a short update of my life now and why I am starting up this blog again.

Have a very Happy New Year!!

Until the next blog post,
Tila

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Missouri

Support House Bill 165 and Senate Bill 42

This year’s APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) Bill is in agreement with core Republican principles of reducing the size of government by removing regulations which are not cost effective and are over burdensome.  The current regulatory processes in Missouri which APRNs function under are very over burdensome and many are not supported with evidenced based research which proves that those regulations improve the quality of the healthcare provided.  For example:   The mileage restriction—there is no evidence which shows this requirement improves care.  In the current times of which we live, modern technology has advanced to the point that makes a physical location and mileage not a valid requirement to ensure there is communication between the APRN and physician.  We all advocate for the increased utilization of telehealth, why not utilize telehealth with an APRN nearby to the patient??  

One of the primary core responsibilities of government is to provide for the safety and well-being of the people.   Having a licensure process/requirement in place for physicians, nurses, physical therapists and such does make sense.  This is a way government ensures these individuals are doing what they hold themselves out to be in a way that does not harm the public.  Not having a licensure process in place for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses does not make sense when every other step in the healthcare provider continuum has a license.   

Government should make sense; our current regulatory process for APRNs does not.  HB 165 and SB 42 will bring back continuity, common sense, provide clarity where ambiguity currently exists and most of all reduce the cost to healthcare by removing barriers to accessing healthcare for Missourians.   

Did you know that in 109 of Missouri counties there is less than one primary care physician for 3,000 people and/or there are no primary care provider services within 30 minutes of travel time??

Missourians need better access to healthcare!!

Nurse Practitioners can help people access healthcare!

Of the 114 counties in Missouri, 109 are considered Healthcare Professional Shortage Areas.  This means there is less than one primary care physician for 3,000 people and/or there are not primary care services within 30 minutes of travel time.  Missourians need better access to healthcare than this!!  I am working to see that Missourians have better access to healthcare!  Healthcare is important to all individuals and if people cannot even find a healthcare provider we all have a problem!

Nurse Practitioners are healthcare individuals who have obtained graduate education, post-master’s certificates and doctoral degrees.  The clinical competencies and professional development are hallmarks of Nurse Practitioner education.  Nurse Practitioners are accountable in a manner that is consistent with an ethical code of conduct, national certification, periodic peer review, clinical outcomes evaluation and evidence of continued professional development. 

Nurse Practitioners can help provide Missourians in these shortage areas with highly qualified and competent healthcare providers while also, over a 10 year period, provide a cost savings of an estimated $1.6 Billion to the state and individual Missourians.  Let’s work together to reduce regulations that keep Missourians from accessing high quality healthcare and allow Nurse Practitioners to help meet the healthcare needs of Missourians while will also saving Missouri and Missourians money!

Post for Week of April 1st

Capitol Report for April 1st

 

The Missouri House returned this week from the annual Spring Break.  To date the House has seen more than 1,500 bills filed with nearly 450 House Bills already receiving committee approval. At this time the House has approved and sent to the Senate more than 150 bills, and so far only one of the bills has received final approval. The number of bills sent to the Senate is a significant increase from last session when the House had approved just more than 90 bills entering the break.  This high volume of bills moving through the process means all legislators will have a heavy workload from now until the end of session.

 

We passed two bills which I feel will have a direct impact on improving health care for all Missourians.  I will share a summary of these two bills from the House communications office.

 

House Approves “Step Therapy” Measure to Improve Access to Vital Medications (HB 2029)

 

Missourians with chronic illnesses would have better access to the medications they need under legislation approved by the Missouri House this week. The legislation is designed to prevent redundant “step therapy” so that patients who switch health insurance benefits are not forced to try medications that have already proven to be ineffective before being allowed to use medication that works.

 

The legislation approved by the House simply ensures that a patient will not have to go through the process of trying multiple medications again simply because of an insurance change. In effect, it makes it so the medicine prescribed by the patient’s doctor is the medicine the patient is allowed to take.

 

The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support and is now on its way to the Senate for consideration.

 

 

Expanding Access to Health Care (HB 1923)

 

The Missouri House approved legislation this week designed to modernize health care in Missouri, and improve the level of care provided by the state’s system of Medicaid. The legislation brings telehealth services in Missouri into state statute and works to bring greater access to health care to Missourians in rural and underserved areas. 

 

The bill would update Missouri’s laws on Medicaid reimbursement in regard to telehealth services so that more health care professionals could provide telehealth care to Medicaid recipients. Supporters of the bill say it is an important change that will allow patients to receive care without having to travel long distances. They noted the change could also result in a significant cost savings. In 2015 the state’s Medicaid program allocated more than $40 million for use in providing non-emergency medical transportation to take patients in underserved areas to see specialists.

 

 

 

Until Next Week,

Tila

Legislative Update

Legislation Update for this week...

(This update is specifically related to bills I am sponsoring)

 

HB 1366 "BioSim Bill"--this bill will provide a means for a pharmacist to substitute a BioSimiliar medication for a Biologic medication much in the same manner as a generic medication is substituted for a trade or brand name medication.  This bill is in the Senate,  I am expecting it to be heard in committee in the next few weeks.  The bill has good bipartisan support and will hopefully make it through the Senate without any issues.

 

HB 1558 -- this bill deals with the laws regarding the inspections of certain nursing facilities.  There are situations in which while a facility is being built or remodeled there are duplicative inspections being conducted and not always do the regulations to pass each inspection match.  This bill will remove and clarify this situation.  This will result in less building costs and less red tape while ensuring safety of the patient is where the attention is at.  This bill will receive a hearing next week.  I am excited about this hearing and hope it will go without difficulty.  This bill is filed from last year which has made it much easier this year, I think we worked all the "kinks" out then!

 

HB 2665 -- I filed this bill just this week!   The bill will clarify an issue for EMS while respecting local control.  We are very excited about this bill as a group of constituents, including Darlene Shelton from Dexter, worked with the EMS community to draft the language for this bill.  I will be adding it as an amendment to at least one bill to help this issue be addressed as quickly as possible.  The EMS community has taken all the action they can without this language so we will work to get this language through the process as quickly as possible!

 

HCR 67 -- This resolution deals with encouraging Congress to give States more flexibility in Early Childhood federal funding.  Hopefully this will be just another document reinforcing to Congress that we, as a State, understand best how to allocate resources and emphasize it is much easier for the People to go to and contact the State Agencies compared to reaching a Federal Agency.  It has been referred to committee this week. I will be speaking with the chair to request a hearing as soon as a time is available.  

 

HCR 66 -- This resolution deals with information regarding meningococcal disease and available vaccines.  It was voted out of the first level of committee this week and is on its way to the second committee level!  I should know more next week as to the next hearing date.

 

 

 

 

Other topics of interest....

 

I am working with a group of other legislators to review our current policies in place regarding our State's Infrastructure.  I have been meeting with our local and state transportation individuals including those who work with MODOT, rail and ports.  My intern, Mary, is spending quite a bit of time assisting me with researching what other states do to support and encourage infrastructure maintenance and development.  We are discussing many ideas but I think it is going to take a variety of actions to address our current infrastructure challenges and they certainly won't be addressed overnight.  I will continue to update you from time to time on our progress.

 

 

I am also working closely with a group of nursing schools, industry stakeholders and the Department of Health and Senior Services to review the current training program for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).  The training program is very out of date in many areas which in turn has a negative impact on those living in nursing facilities because the CNAs are not receiving the best training possible.  We are close to getting this remedied, I am hopeful to see a significant change in this area by the end of the year!

Serving the 151st District has been such a great privilege and honor!  The 151st District is one of the best places to live in the world!  During my time as the State Representative for our district, I have learned so much about our area, things I didn't know!!  Today, I am excited to announce I have filed to run for re-election and look forward to the opportunity to serve the 151st District again!

Legislation Update for this week...
I am happy to report HB 1866, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, made it out of the first level of committee this week!  This bill is one portion of what I feel is a step towards controlling our health care costs.  APRNs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) or better known as Nurse Practitioners, are a valuable member of the healthcare team and in some situations this team member is not able to provide healthcare to patients due to current restrictions and regulations.  I am hoping this bill will continue to progress through the process and by this fall allow Nurse Practitioners to increase access to healthcare for all Missourians.

Capitol Report

“Paycheck Protection” Bill Receives House Approval (HB 1891)

 

The House gave approval this week to legislation meant to give workers the authority to annually opt-in rather than opt-out of paycheck deductions for union fees. Often referred to as “paycheck protection” legislation, the bill would require annual written consent from a public employee before any amount could be withheld from the earnings of the employee for the payment of any portion of dues, agency shop fees, or other fees paid to a public labor organization.

 

The legislation also would require public employee unions to obtain annual written consent in order to spend a portion of the fees on political activities. Unions for first responders, such as police and firefighters, would be exempted from the requirements of the bill.

 

Supporters of the change say it is a matter of protecting the rights of workers and giving them a say in where their money goes. They say unions sometimes support political causes not endorsed by their membership and the bill would give members the authority to prevent their fees from being used for these purposes.

 

Opponents say contributions already are voluntary and requiring this annual authorization will increase costs to public employers and school districts in particular. They believe the authorization requirement is an unnecessary intrusion into the inner workings of a private organization and another administrative burden placed on unions by state government.

 

The General Assembly approved similar legislation two years ago but saw the bill vetoed by the governor. This year’s version of the legislation received 110 votes in the House, which is one more than needed to override a potential veto by the governor.

 

House Approves Legislation to Address Misuse of ASARCO Settlement Dollars (HB 2187)

 

The House approved legislation that would force the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to sell land it had acquired in Oregon County for use as a new state park. Many House members had taken issue with the decision of the executive branch to acquire the Frederick Creek Ranch land with funds that were meant for important remediation efforts such as clean drinking water projects in Missouri’s lead mining district.

 

During the 2015 interim, the House formed a committee to look at what members said was an inappropriate use of settlement funds that were intended to be utilized to remediate the damage done by the ASARCO mining conglomerate at five sites in southeast Missouri’s lead mining district, which includes St. Francois, Reynolds, Iron and Madison counties. Instead, the trustees of the ASARCO settlement determined it was appropriate to use funds to acquire land several counties away and in a different watershed.

 

Now, with the legislation approved by the House, members hope to undo the decision made by executive branch to prioritize the purchase of Frederick Creek Ranch over the remediation projects in areas that were actually impacted by ASARCO’s actions. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

 

House Approves Resolution Encouraging an Audit of the Federal Reserve (HR 71)

 

The members of the Missouri House of Representatives approved a resolution calling on Congress to pass the Federal Reserve Transparency Act to require a complete audit of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States. As the sponsor of the resolution said on the House floor, the Federal Reserve has loaned trillions of dollars to bail out foreign banks without the consent of Congress, and it refuses to fully disclose the details of its lending practices. He also noted that the Federal Reserve has never received a complete audit.

 

The resolution approved by the House notes that the Federal Reserve has inflated the money supply and manipulated interest rates since its inception in 1913, which has eroded the purchasing power of the dollar by approximately 95 percent, and contributed to boom and bust business cycles. It also points out that Federal Reserve has operated the nation’s monetary system without full disclosure and transparency, which has led to a lower quality of life for the American people and abuse verified by the United States Government Accountability Office in its 2011 Report to Congress.

 

The bill’s sponsor hopes that a complete audit will finally provide the American people with answers about how their money is being spent, where their money is being spent, and at what cost.

 

Promoting Civics Education (HB 1646)

 

The Missouri House approved legislation to promote American history and civics education in Missouri classrooms. The bill would create the Missouri Civics Education Initiative to require students in public, charter, and private high schools to receive a passing grade on a standardized civics test in order to graduate.

 

Supporters said ensuring a thorough knowledge of the country’s history and system of government is a key first step in creating an engaged and active citizenry that will vote and take active roles in the political process.

 

Under HB 1621, exams would consist of the same 100 questions used on the civics portion of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ U.S. Naturalization test that is taken by immigrants looking to gain American citizenship. The questions would cover topics ranging from the United States Constitution to American history to geography. The test could be retaken by the student an unlimited amount of times until a passing grade is obtained.

 

If passed into law, Missouri would join states such as Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana and Wisconsin, which all passed Civics Education Initiatives earlier in the year.

 

If approved by both chambers and signed by the governor, the Missouri Civics Education Initiative would take effect Aug. 28, 2016, and all students entering ninth grade after July 1, 2017, would be required to receive a passing grade on the civics test.

 

House Approves Returning Heroes’ Education Act (HB 2156)

 

The Missouri House took action this week to fix an issue with the Missouri Returning Heroes’ Education Act that will help veterans to more easily afford the cost of a college education. The bill changes existing law to ensure the tuition benefit created by the act is applied correctly.

 

The Missouri Returning Heroes' Education Act was created by Senate Bill 830 in 2008. The act limits tuition charged to qualified combat veterans to $50 per credit hour for any program leading to a Bachelor's degree.  Under the act, a "combat veteran" is any person who served in armed combat after September 11, 2001, who was a Missouri resident when first entering the military, and who was discharged from military service under honorable conditions.

 

While the program has been beneficial for combat veterans, several filed a lawsuit alleging some state universities were misapplying the benefit. The universities were using the other financial aid available to the veterans to pay for tuition before capping the cost of classes at the $50 limit. The veterans who brought suit said the $50 cap should be applied first so that other financial aid could then be used to cover the other costs associated with attending college, which have increased significantly in recent years.

 

The legislation approved by the House changes the law to require the tuition limitation be provided before all other aid is applied and repeals the provisions prohibiting a veteran from receiving more than the actual cost of attendance when the limitation is combined with other available aid. The bill also will clarify how the law should be interpreted so that every university in Missouri will apply the act in the same way. Supporters said the goal of the legislation is to support veterans in Missouri and to help them to obtain their degrees without accumulating excessive student loan debt.

Saving Money on Biologic Medicines

Saving Money on Biologic Medicines

By State Representative Tila Hubrecht, 151^st District

In recent years, biologic medicines have been at the forefront of cutting edge research in the biomedical field helping us to find new treatments and even cures for chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and even cancer. These medicines have a complex molecular structure grown from living cells. They have become more commonly used as time has gone on. To this point though, biologics have not been able to be substituted with an interchangeable biosimilar medicine in Missouri. Biosimilar medicines have a molecular structure similar to biologics with the same intended goal but are not exactly the same as the original biologic.

Because biosimilar medicines are not identical to their original biologics, a patient could react differently to them. To accurately diagnose patients, doctors want to know exactly what biological drug is dispensed to their patients at the pharmacy. The Missouri Pharmacy Practice Act is being updated to require that prescribers and pharmacists work together to ensure patient records contain exactly what has been prescribed. In order to alleviate the wait time on receiving these prescriptions, this information would not have to be shared until after the prescription is dispensed. Biosimilar medicines would expand the potential patient pool for these treatments exponentially.

Like generic substitutions for prescription pills, these medicines would save patients money while still getting them quality medicines they need. Having established a safe alternative to biologic medicines, the reduction in costs for patients is in the billions. The Rand Corporation projects a reduction of $44.2 billion in spending on brand name biologics between 2014 and 2024. More locally in Missouri, the passage of House Bill 1366 & House Bill 1878 is conservatively estimated to save taxpayers $5.5 million in FY2018, $12.1 million in FY2019 and even more in the future.

Biologic medicines are one of the great recent innovations in the medical field. With the legislation passed from the Missouri House, our state will stay ahead of improvements in medicine as they come in the future. One Democrat on the House floor described the bill as a unicorn bill, one of the mythical few that everyone can get behind. The stakeholders of these medications worked for the past three years to find language that would enable the pharmaceutical companies, pharmacists, insurance groups, physicians and most importantly the patient groups to come together and remove the barriers to life-saving medications facing many chronically and critically ill patients.  I enjoyed working with Representative Solon to ensure bipartisan support of this legislation. Missouri is leading the way on giving taxpayers affordable, high quality medicine and we are proud of it.

Pre-Filing 2015

Pre-Filing is in full swing...

Tuesday, Dec. 1st, marked the first day legislators in both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly could pre-file bills for the 2016 legislative session. During the first two days of pre-filing House members filed 261 bills. This figure shatters previous marks for bill filing activity. In comparison, the 2014 session saw just 195 bills pre-filed throughout the month-long pre-filing period.  Many are projecting over 2000 bills to be pre-filed this month.  I am afraid we will make or even surpass that projection!

 

For the 2016 legislative session, the bills pre-filed by my office include:

•HB 1366 is taking a proactive approach in the pharmaceutical arena by enacting a new law that would allow for an interchangeable biological product to be dispensed.  This bill has the potential to allow Missourians better access to biological products used in the treatment of conditions such as arthritis, anemia, skin conditions, and various forms of cancer.  I am hopeful it will be a proactive step towards controlling one area of prescription drug costs.

•HB 1367 would give the General Assembly an additional level of involvement and oversight of the state education department particularly in regard to the use of federal funding.  I am hopeful this bill will be a conversation starter for a re-building of trust between the people of this state, DESE and the General Assembly and a reunification towards us all working together to ensure Missouri children receive the very best education possible.

•HB 1368 (refiled from last session) would establish a committee to examine the regulations the State Schools for the Severely Disabled operate under in an effort to make changes to allow the schools to better meet the needs of children.

•HB 1557 and HB 1558 both are from last session and relate to duplicative regulations/inspections for nursing facilities, hoping to get this to a unified and consistent type of inspection process as well as clear and consistent regulations.  This will be a step to ensuring safe and high quality nursing facilities, it is very difficult for them to achieve this when the inspectors and regulations contradict.

•HB 1712 will add that a managed care plan's network (health insurance) shall be deemed adequate if the plan is offered by a carrier accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

•HB 1866 will allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to practice without a mileage restriction and address some other barriers to healthcare access that currently negatively impact rural Missourians.

•HB 1879 will reinstate the Cap back into the Foundation Formula for the funding of education making it so that the Foundation Formula may be fully funded without a massive tax increase each year, this will also allow our rural schools to be more adequately and fairly funded compared with urban schools.

•I am still working on 2 other bills that I plan to file, one is related to offering dyslexia training to every teacher in the state at no cost to our local schools and addressing the certification process for educators.  The wording on both of these are still being discussed, I will let you know as soon as I file these bills.

•One final bill, I am not sure when we will have it ready for filing as it is very complicated, is to address nursing facilities via quality improvement/incentives and/or reimbursement.  Our nursing facilities get a very bad "rap" due to the care or perception of the care delivery system.  I am hoping to address this through improved training, quality improvement methods and reimbursements so that CNA's (Certified Nursing Assistants) will receive better pay as they are the ones who provide the majority of direct hands on patient care, we all know "you get what you pay for" so I hope to ensure the best possible staff for our elderly who are in nursing facilities.

 

I will be also filing, in January when that filing time opens, 3 resolutions that will address Federal Government overreach.  I am hopeful these statements will receive bipartisan support and make it clear to our Federal Delegation that we, as Missourians, support common sense approaches to government that are as close to the people as possible and we do not feel the Federal Government knows best in all things.

 

This update is quite lengthy, I could list more than what I have listed here but I am afraid the report would become so large and cumbersome no one would want to read it!  I have tried to keep things brief and list only the highlights.  I have attended many, many meetings which I have not listed but if you have questions about any of the meetings I have attended, please feel free to call or email me and ask!  I am always happy to share with others what I have been doing most importantly the things I have learned!

 

I very much appreciate another opportunity to serve you in this upcoming session.  I will work hard to stop government overreach while also protecting our citizens and our way of life.  Please contact me if you would like to discuss any of the bills mentioned above or any of those filed by other legislators.  I will be happy to find a time for us to meet and talk!

 

I won't send out a report again until after Christmas as we all will be spending as much time with family as possible.   Enjoy this Holiday Season and spend as much time as possible with your loved ones!!

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Tila

Capitol Report--VA Issues, Senior Healthcare, Education Funding and Local Control, Planned Parenthood, and more

This week's Capitol Report focuses on a wide variety of issues but I would like to use this portion to write about an issue that is very near to my heart.  The issue I would like to bring attention to is the care our veterans are being given at the VA system. 

I want to preface this all by pointing out there are many great and caring people that work for the VA system.  It isn't necessarily the people that is the problem, the problem, in my opinion, is with the system itself.  If you have been following the development of the issue at the Federal level, you will have seen no changes have been made in personnel.  I am hoping this means the top level officials of the system are dedicated to fixing, repairing or changing the system but I am not yet convinced.   It may appear that I am contradicting myself here but I do not feel as if I am.  The top level officials are the ones that authorize policy and procedure, without their engagement in this process, nothing will change the current status quo which limits the ability of the "normal" staff person to do his or her job effectively. 

I have see first hand, as my husband is a veteran that receives healthcare at our area VA system, the challenges and treatment of our veterans.  I have also worked with many of our veterans during my years of working as a nurse and through this past year as your state representative.  I am outraged and disheartened at the care given or in many cases not given. I am also outraged at the red tape and steps one must go through to obtain services or to get services received paid for.  This must change. 

What I can actually do at my level is very limited.  The VA is a Federal issue and my level of influence over Federal issues is limited. The good news on this is that I have had the opportunity to speak with two of our Federal delegation members, Congressman Smith and Senator Blunt. I am pleased to tell you the conversations I have had with both men are very encouraging.

Congressman Smith and Senator Blunt are dedicated to changing this situation into one that every veteran receives the care he or she so much deserves.  They are so dedicated to this issue they have both assigned staff members from their offices to gather information to present to Congress and to work to resolve issues our veterans are currently dealing with such as helping to get services received paid for and to assist with navigating the VA system.

I would like to ask, actually beg of you, to share with Congressman Smith and Senator Blunt your experiences with the VA system.  Please write or call their office(s), this is the only way we can actually get the system to change is by flooding Washington DC with actual testimony from veterans who know first hand what type of care is being given and what the barriers to care are.

Contact Information for Congressman Smith:

2502 Tanner Drive

Suite 205

Cape Girardeau, MO 63703

Phone: 573-335-0101

or

1118 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: 202-225-4404

Contact Information for Senator Blunt:

2502 Tanner Drive Suite 208

Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63703

Phone: (573) 334-7044

or

260 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-5721

If I can be of assistance with this issue or any other issues, please do not hesitate to call my office!  We will be glad to do all we can to serve you!

Capitol News:

House Budget Leaders Urge Caution with Governor’s Higher Education Spending Plan

As the governor recently proposed a plan to increase funding for Missouri’s institutions of higher learning, House budget leaders immediately urged a more cautious approach as the state waits to see if it will have revenues to afford an increase. Both Budget Chairman Tom Flanigan and Budget Vice Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick said the Missouri House is committed to supporting higher education, but will take a wait and see approach to increased funding until it’s clear that revenues will increase sufficiently.

Nixon’s proposal calls for a $55.7 million increase in funding for higher education in the Fiscal Year 2017 state budget that begins July 1, 2016. In exchange, colleges and universities would freeze tuition so that Missouri families do not pay more for their kids to go to school. If put into effect, the six percent increase would bring total funding for higher education to approximately $1 billion in general revenue funds.

House Budget leaders cautioned that the state’s revenue numbers have not increased at a healthy enough level to date to talk about significant funding increases. They stressed that the state must have enough money to continue to meet its funding obligations to health care and elementary and secondary education.

I am also in agreement with being cautious before increasing funds for Higher Education.  Our state budget is limited in what it can do, if we spread the money too thin, I am worried we will find ourselves doing a lot of things but none of it very well. 

I also will admit that if there is to be additional funding for education, I would prefer we work first to fix the school funding formula to one that can actually be fully funded and remove Federal and State strings from the funding thereby allowing our schools to education our children without having to jump through so many hoops with a million regulations.   

I am also much more supportive of seeing an increase in funding Parents as Teachers.  We have a generation of parents that either had very little parenting themselves as children and/or have very little family support.  Teaching and supporting young parents, giving them the skills necessary to become great parents who are actively involved in educating their children is a much needed and understated priority.

Human Trafficking Task Force to Hold Public Hearings around the State

A group of Missouri state legislators and citizens working together to combat the rapidly-growing criminal industry of human trafficking will begin holding public hearings around the state. The Human Trafficking Task force will take public testimony on the issue during a series of hearings in October in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield.

The task force was created by legislation sponsored by the General Assembly during the 2015 session. The group’s mission is to raise awareness of the human trafficking problem in Missouri and provide organizations and agencies that enforce human trafficking laws and assist victims with a central place to share information. The task force is charged with reporting a summary of its activities and making any recommendations for legislation to the General Assembly by January 1, 2017.

The human trafficking industry generates $150 billion in annual profits throughout the world. The criminal industry makes its profits on the backs of an estimated 21 million victims, including 5.5 million children. The task force is part of an effort by the state to take a more active role to help the dozens of nonprofit organizations that are already diligently working to shut down the human trafficking industry. The chairman of the committee hopes to see a strong turnout at the hearings from people who have stories and suggestions to share that can help the task force make policy recommendations that will prevent trafficking crimes in the future.

The task force is set for noon hearings at the following locations:

·         October 8 at the Kansas City Chamber Board Room in Union Station

·         October 13 at BJC Children’s Hospital, St. Louis

·         October 28 at the Springfield Chamber, Bill Foster North Meeting Room

New Interim Committee to Review State Activities Association

A newly-created interim committee in the House will take a look at the progress made by the Missouri State High School Activities Association in implementing recommendations made by a separate interim committee in 2007.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) is the governing body for high school activities throughout the state of Missouri. Approximately 580 high schools are members of MSHSAA. In recent years, both members of the public and legislators have expressed concerns regarding how MSHSAA conducts its business.

The House Interim Committee on MSHSAA Issues was created by House Speaker Todd Richardson to track and compare the progress of previously recommended MSHSAA reforms outlined in the report issued by the 2007 Interim Committee on MSHSAA Reform.

The current committee will focus on five key areas in its investigation:

1)      MSHSAA’s financial audits of receipts and expenditures.

2)      MSHSAA’s compliance with Sunshine Laws and transparency of activities.

3)      MSHSAA’s fairness and consistency in its application of their Constitution, Bylaws, and Board Rules and Regulations.

4)      MSHSAA’s compliance and role in insuring student safety.

5)      Any other issues that may arise.

The chairman of the committee has said his primary goal is to ensure the organization that oversees all high school activities in the state is acting in a transparent and accountable way that protects the best interests of Missouri young people.

The committee will hold its first hearings at the State Capitol at the end of October.

Representative Cookson, an Advance graduate and Puxico native, is serving on this committee and working very actively in this process. 

Moving Wall Memorializes Fallen Heroes

In a few weeks our nation will pause to honor and respect the heroes who have made great sacrifices to protect our freedoms. Just a few days ago, tens of thousands of Missourians made their way to the State Capitol to pay tribute to the many brave individuals who gave their lives in the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall was in Jefferson City from Sept. 24 – 28 and folks from near and far, and of all ages, were able to visit and see the names of 58.307 names inscribed on the wall. Officials who helped bring the wall to Jefferson City said peak times saw approximately 800 visitors each hour with non-peak times producing 400 visitors per hour. In total, more than 30,000 people stopped to visit and pay their respects and spend a few moments in remembrance of those who gave all for this nation.

Attorney General Investigates Claims against Planned Parenthood

As both the Missouri House and Senate continued to investigate the allegations against Planned Parenthood, and the debate raged on in Washington, D.C. with talks of defunding the organization, the state Attorney General also began his own investigation. This week Attorney General Koster released the findings of his investigation that indicate the Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis has not sold fetal tissue.

Koster’s 50-page report claims that the fetal tissues from more than 300 surgical abortions performed at the St. Louis facility were properly incinerated. According to the report, the tissues can be tracked from the clinic to the pathology lab to the incinerator, and there is no evidence that tissues have ever been sold.

Missouri is one of several states that has investigated Planned Parenthood following videos that some claimed were proof that the organization breaks federal law by selling tissues for profit. States such as Georgia, Indiana and Massachusetts have already conducted investigations and cleared Planned Parenthood of breaking the law. While Koster’s report appears to find no wrongdoing in Missouri, the chair of the House committee investigating Planned Parenthood has said she plans to continue the committee’s efforts. She said the report still leaves several questions that need to be answered.

I serve on this committee and would very much like to continue this investigation.  I am not as convinced as of yet but whether or not I become convinced isn't as important as making sure that the selling of baby body parts never again is called into question.  I will continue to work diligently on this committee to ensure Missouri law is followed and respected as well as to ensure that all human remains are treated with the respect and dignity deserved. 

Education Issues:

have been learning so much about our state this past year.  One thing I have learned recently was through my daughter's process of preparing for life after graduation.  I learned that our area of the state, Southeast Missouri, has an average ASVAB score of 37.  The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. It is administered annually to more than one million military applicants, high school, and post-secondary students.

I was concerned when I was told this number and I checked into our state's performance just a little more.  The information below was what I received.

The most current data available for statewide ASVAB performance is the 2014 data:

·         19.7% of 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students took the ASVAB

·         Based on the percentage of participation, Missouri ranks 3rd in the country

·         38.7 was the average composite score

·         Based on the average composite score, Missouri ranks 37th in the country.

This information was concerning to me as well.  I as glad to see we participate well but it does cause me to worry about our education system.  We have many great teachers and administrators in our area, their number one goal is to teach and to make sure our children learn.  Our government ties their hands with regulations, rules and guidelines.  I really don't know why our teachers and administrators continue to do what they do, other than they are dedicated to serving our children even in a system that is so difficult to work in.  I ask for you to contact our Federal officials and ask them to support removing "strings" and to stop adding rules, regulations and guidelines to Federal monies and policies related to education.  Education is best directed locally by OUR teachers and OUR administrators and OUR school boards.  Help me fight to return the control of our schools back to our local level.  If we had local control of our schools, the above referenced ASVAB scores would be much higher, I am sure of it!

Senior Healthcare Issues

I am preparing for another Brain Storming Session with stakeholders to discuss Long Term Care Issues.  We will be continuing our discussion on this but we will also spend some time discussing the difficulties many senior citizens have trying to access In Home Care. 

At the last meeting there was discussion regarding the possibility for expanded use of Advanced Practice Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in the Long Term Care setting.  There are several promising studies showing an decrease in preventable illnesses and wounds as well as improved quality of life with these practitioners on site.   

Regulations and interpretation of those regulations was a hot topic discussed at length as well as the survey teams/training and the once available training for providers. It has come to our group's attention of instances in which regulations are interpreted differently depending on the team members understanding and training.  We are hoping to work with the Department officials to gain a better understanding of this issue and how we can bring some type of continuity to this issue.  A standard method or way of interpretation would be very helpful for administrative officials of Long Term Care facilities to know clearly what is and is not expected of them by the state and federal governments.

We will be discussing more in depth at the next meeting information gathered to answer questions regarding the Certified Nurse Assistant training programs and rules.  There were questions raised in regards to this at the last meeting and several individuals have been working to gather information on this issue as well as looking into possible recommendations that could be made to improve the training and work experience of CNAs.  CNAs, for anyone familiar with Long Term Care facilities, work very hard and provide a bulk of the direct patient care.   

Senior Citizens and the treatment they receive are priorities of mine.  I will continue this next session to advocate for quality healthcare that is delivered with compassion, care and respect.

Veto Session

Capitol News:

Veto Session Sees Several Bills Enacted into Law

The annual Veto Session began Wednesday, September 16 at noon and by the time it was finished 12 hours later the House and Senate had combined to override the governor’s vetoes on 10 pieces of legislation. Heading into the day, the legislature had successfully completed 94 veto overrides in the history of the state. Seventy-two of the overrides had occurred under the watch of the current governor. With Wednesday’s total added to the tally, the legislature has now successfully approved 104 overrides and Gov. Nixon has seen 82 of his vetoes overridden.

The annual Veto Session is required by Article III, Section 32 of the Missouri Constitution, which calls for the General Assembly to convene each September to consider vetoed bills. Overrides have typically been rare in the state’s history because a successful motion requires two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers – 23 votes in the Senate and 109 in the House of Representatives. Override efforts begin in a given bill’s chamber of origin. If the originating chamber fails to override, the other chamber can take no action on it.

The House entered the day with 10 vetoed bills and one vetoed budget line-item to consider. The Senate began deliberations with six vetoed Senate bills to consider, as well as one override motion on HB 150 that had already been approved by the House during the regular session. When their work was done shortly after midnight Thursday morning, the two chambers had combined to override vetoes on six House bills and four Senate bills.

House Fails to Override Veto of Right to Work Bill (HB 116)

During the 2015 regular session the House and Senate had worked together to send Right to Work legislation to the governor’s desk for the first time in the history of the state. The governor then vetoed the bill, which set up a much-discussed and much-anticipated vote to enact the bill into law despite the governor’s objections.

Wednesday afternoon the House spent nearly two hours debating the bill before finally attempting the override motion. In front of packed galleries filled with both supporters and opponents of the bill, the House failed to approve the override motion by a vote of 96-63. The 96 votes fell 13 short of the number needed to override, but represented a gain of four votes from the 92 that originally approved the bill in the House during the regular session.

In effect, the bill would have given workers in Missouri the right to decide whether to join a union. Specifically, it would have prohibited an employer from requiring a person to become a member of a labor organization as a condition or continuation of employment.

Supporters of the idea say it is meant to make Missouri a more attractive location for new and existing job creators. They say it preserves the rights and freedoms of the individual to choose whether to join a union. Opponents say it is an attack on organized labor and a move that would lead to lower wages for workers.

I supported this override and spoke in favor of it.  I have been told by our community business leaders and economic developers Missouri is losing jobs to states that are Right to Work.  I have verified this with other economic developers and business leaders throughout the state to ensure this wasn’t a phenomena to our area because we are close to Arkansas and Tennessee.  I was told over and over when companies look at possible states and consider the attributes of those states, the consistent item on the list of reasons why they are NOT considering Missouri is we are not a Right to Work state.

Right to Work is not a guaranteed deal maker though, we must be equal in other areas as well such as utilities, infrastructure, housing, and we are equal in those areas in most cases.  I talked with many, many people in our district, overwhelmingly I was asked to please support Right to Work, and this was by people on every side of the political aisle, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and Independent.  We did gain votes for Right to Work and we will continue to work to fight for Missouri jobs and grow Missouri’s economy.

General Assembly Overrides Governor’s Veto of Unemployment Reform Bill (HB 150)

During the 2015 regular session the Missouri House successfully completed an override motion on the governor’s veto of legislation that supporters say will keep Missouri’s system of unemployment financially stable. Because of a filibuster, the Senate was shut down in the final week of session and was unable to complete the override motion. Wednesday evening, members of the Senate finally completed the override to enact into a law a bill that will link unemployment benefits to the rate of unemployment, and ensure the state keeps more money in the unemployment trust fund.

Supporters of the bill say it is meant to protect the state’s unemployment system from insolvency in the event there is another economic downturn. Missouri is the only state that has been forced to borrow money from the federal government to pay for unemployment benefits during each of the last five economic downturns. Borrowing federal dollars has the added negative impact of taking away a portion of a federal tax credit businesses normally receive.

Opponents say the change will make it even more difficult for unemployed Missourians to obtain the financial support they need to pay their bills and keep food on the table. They say it will make the length of Missouri’s unemployment benefits one of the shortest in the nation.

The legislation is designed to make sure the state has enough money in its unemployment trust fund so that businesses don’t have to pay a penalty. Specifically, it will increase the minimum amount of money in the fund before employers’ contribution rates decrease. For example, Missouri businesses would see their contribution rates decrease by 12 percent if the fund has a balance greater than $870 million.

The bill also ties unemployment benefits to the average unemployment rate so that more benefits are available when unemployment is high. If the state were in a position of high unemployment (9 percent or higher) benefits would be available for 20 weeks. In periods of low unemployment (lower than 6 percent) benefits would be available for 13 weeks. Supporters noted that a similar system is already in place in states like Georgia and Florida. They call the change an important step toward ensuring Missouri can afford to help its citizens during times when they are without work.

House and Senate Override Bill to Prevent Undocumented Immigrants from Receiving A+ Scholarships (SB 224)

Another bill now set to become law is meant to ensure scholarship benefits through the state’s A+ Schools Program are received only by young people who are legal residents of the United States. Specifically, the bill requires a student to be a United States citizen or a permanent resident in order to receive benefits.

The impetus for the legislation was a decision by the Missouri Department of Higher Education to allow students who are lawfully present, but not legal residents, to receive A+ scholarships. The decision applies directly to students who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allows children who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents to stay and legally live, work and study.

Supporters of SB 224 say the bill ensures the limited amount of scholarship money in the A+ program will be reserved for legal Missouri residents. They say it is unfair to Missouri families to see diminished scholarship amounts for their children because the dollars are instead going to young people who are not legal residents. Opponents of the idea say it is an attack on young people who are in the country illegally through no fault of their own. They say the legislature should work to increase funding for the A+ program so all children can benefit.

The A+ Scholarship program allows Missouri high school students who have met certain requirements to receive state-funded assistance to attend participating public community college or vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools.  The program allows thousands of Missouri students to pursue a college degree each year.

General Assembly Acts to Ensure Uniform Minimum Wage (HB 722)

The House and Senate also collaborated Wednesday to overturn the governor’s veto of legislation meant to keep minimum wages in municipalities throughout Missouri at a rate that does not exceed the state standard.

Supporters of the bill have said a uniform minimum wage is important to provide a level playing field for employers and employees around the state. They say the bill is simply a clarification of existing law, which prohibits cities from raising the minimum wage. Opponents say the bill is an attack on local control and an infringement on the rights of municipalities. They also say higher wages for Missourians can only have a positive impact on the economy.

In addition, the bill that will now become law ensures Missourians will continue to have the choice of paper or plastic bags at the grocery store.  The bill specifies that all merchants doing business in this state must have the option to provide customers with a paper or plastic bag for any item or good purchased.  The bill also makes it clear that a political subdivision cannot impose any ban, fee, or tax upon the use of paper or plastic bags.

Other Bills Now Set to Become Law

HB 618 - Changes the laws regarding the disposition of human remains. Expands the types of medical professionals who can attest to a cause of death, to include physicians’ assistants, assistant physicians and advance practice registered nurses.

HB 878 - Specifies that the Department of Public Safety must have the authority to commission corporate security advisors and establishes procedures to do so.

HB 1022 - Authorizes a return of premiums paid by insureds.

HB 1098 - Changes the laws regarding trust companies.

SB 20 - Creates a state and local sales and use tax exemption for material, machinery, and energy used by commercial laundries in treating or cleaning textiles.

SB 142 - Requires the Department of Natural Resources, when developing a state implementation plan, state plan, or non-point source management plan for submission to the Environmental Protection Agency, to prepare an implementation impact report in lieu of a regulatory impact report in collaboration with certain other state entities. The report will be delivered to the Governor, Joint Committee on Government Accountability, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives along with the proposed plan 45 calendar days prior to submission to the Environmental Protection Agency.

SB 345 - Increases the fee that banks can charge consumers for loans of 30 days or more, to a maximum of $100. Limit now is $75.

My frustration with Mo DOT

I always learn something new when I am in Jefferson City.  This week I was very upset to learn of Mo DOT spending time, money and resource to provide Cultural and Diversity training to employees.  You may ask why I am upset over this, I will explain the reasons I have regarding my disapproval and frustration with this training.   This past year we have all heard how Mo DOT was short of the needed funds to maintain and repair our roads and bridges, it went so far as to a ballot measure that failed and bills being filed in the legislature this past session.   During the past session, I was very aware of and concerned for Mo DOT’s funding needs, especially as I have been under our bridges and seen for myself the deteriorating condition of our bridges, I have tried to be supportive of finding ways to address the funding issues to ensure Missourians safety on the roads.  Mo DOT has recently released a plan to care for a very primary roadway structure and I have been very good to explain the importance of this primary structure even though we have very little on the primary structure.  I have talked with other members of the legislative body about ways to find more funding for Mo DOT so that the secondary roads and bridges can be addressed.  

With all this being said, I cannot and will not be supportive of funds, resources and time, all of which are very precious commodities, to be used for Cultural and Diversity training while we have so many of our roads and bridges are listed as being in critical condition.  People’s lives and safety are more important than this type of training!  How will we all feel if someone is killed on our roadways or a bridge because we used our financial and personnel resources on other types of activities instead of first making sure our roads and bridges are safe?   If this is a Federal requirement due to some Federal monies our state has accepted, I will be more than happy to take this fight to our Federal Delegation serving in Washington DC and ask them to change this.  We must have safe roads and bridges to travel on.  Our economy needs safe roads and bridges for businesses to grow and thrive.  Our people deserve to be safe as they travel over Missouri roads and bridges.   I will continue to stand for wise use of our tax dollars and for common sense.  Missourians safety and lives come before Cultural and Diversity training.  

Upcoming Meeting to Discuss Healthcare Challenges for Senior Citizens

I will conduct my first meeting to begin discussions regarding the challenges facing senior citizens as it relates to healthcare.  These meetings will begin by looking at Long Term Care.  If you have thoughts on this issue, please email me at tila.hubrecht@house.mo.gov

Capitol Report and Update: Preparations Being Finalized for Veto Session

Capitol News:

House Members Prepare for Annual Veto Session

As mandated by the Missouri Constitution, the General Assembly will meet Wednesday, September 16 to consider bills that were passed by the House and Senate but vetoed by the governor. The annual Veto Session gives legislators a final opportunity to enact their ideas into law despite the governor’s objections. In both chambers, a two-thirds vote is required to override a veto. In the House that amounts to 109 votes. Twenty-three votes are needed in the Senate to successfully complete an override motion.

In 2015 the governor vetoed 12 House Bills, six Senate Bills, and had one line-item veto in an appropriations bill. While the legislature was still in session, the House and Senate overrode the governor’s veto of legislation (SB 24) designed to reform Missouri’s system of welfare so that it does a better job of moving folks out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency. The House also approved a veto override motion for legislation meant to reform Missouri’s system of unemployment, but the Senate failed to act before the clock ran out on the session.

The House and Senate will now consider the remaining bills with the override process starting in the House for House Bills, and in the Senate for Senate bills. For some historical perspective, the General Assembly overrode the governor’s vetoes on 10 bills and 47 budget line-items during last year’s Veto Session. These totals, plus the veto override completed during the 2015 session, push the total override count in state history to 93 with 44 of the overrides coming on vetoes of non-appropriations bills and 49 on budget line-items. Interestingly, 71 of the overrides have occurred during the current governor’s time in office.

Legislature to Continue Veto Override Attempt on Unemployment Reform Legislation  (HB 150)

During the 2015 Veto Session, the House took action to override the governor’s veto of legislation meant to reform the state’s system of unemployment. The bill is designed to strike a balance to ensure Missourians have access to unemployment benefits when they are out of work while also protecting Missouri’s job creators from excessive taxes and fees. The House then sent the bill to the Senate to complete the override motion, but the Senate was shut down by a filibuster in the final weeks and no action was taken. Now, leaders in both chambers believe the Senate can take up and approve this motion during the Veto Session.

The legislation is designed to make sure the state has enough money in its unemployment trust fund so that businesses don’t have to pay a penalty. Specifically, it would increase the minimum amount of money in the fund before employers’ contribution rates decrease.

The bill also ties unemployment benefits to the average unemployment rate so that more benefits are available when unemployment is high. If the state were in a position of high unemployment (9 percent or higher) benefits would be available for 20 weeks. In periods of low unemployment (lower than 6 percent) benefits would be available for 13 weeks.

Legislature Could Consider Right to Work Veto Override (HB 116)

The House and Senate also could consider an override motion on a piece of legislation commonly referred to as Right to Work.

In effect, the bill gives workers in Missouri the right to decide whether to join a union. Specifically, it prohibits an employer from requiring a person to become a member of a labor organization as a condition or continuation of employment.

Supporters of the bill say it is meant to make Missouri a more attractive location for new and existing job creators. They say it preserves the rights and freedoms of the individual to choose whether to join a union. Opponents say it is an attack on organized labor and a move that would lead to lower wages for workers.

The House needs 109 votes to override the governor’s veto. The Senate needs 23. The bill passed during the legislative session with 92 votes in the House and 21 in the Senate.

Legislature May Not Consider Override of Veto on Education Reform Legislation  (HB 42)

After the 2015 session, the governor vetoed a bill that was hailed by supporters as a way to help young people in struggling school districts. While some in the legislature would like to override the governor’s veto, the bill’s sponsor has indicated he does not plan to make the motion even though he is disappointed that the governor undid the hard work a bipartisan group had done to craft the solution.

Proponents said the bill’s system of accreditation for individual schools rather than entire districts would have alleviated some of the transfer issues and allowed kids to stay closer to home. The bill also would have given students new educational opportunities by allowing for more charter schools and providing a virtual school option.

In objecting to the bill, the governor sided with opponents who took issue with the expansion of charter and virtual schools, which he referred to as a voucher scheme. Opponents also criticized the bill for failing to provide real solutions for the failing districts that have strained financially to pay the tuition of transferring students. Those opposed to the bill also said the virtual school option failed to provide the necessary oversight and accountability for student performance.

General Assembly to Consider Several Other Vetoed Bills for Potential Overrides

The legislature will likely move to override the governor’s veto of SB 224, which was approved by the House and Senate in an effort to ensure scholarship benefits through the state’s A+ Schools Program are received only by young people who are legal residents of the United States. The bill would require a student to be a United States citizen or a permanent resident in order to receive benefits.

The General Assembly also is likely to consider an override motion on HB 722, which was approved by the legislature to ensure Missourians continue to have the choice of paper or plastic bags at the grocery store.  The bill specified that all merchants, itinerant vendors, and peddlers doing business in this state must have the option to provide customers with a paper or plastic bag for any item or good purchased. The bill also made it clear that a political subdivision cannot impose any ban, fee, or tax upon the use of paper or plastic bags. In addition, the bill contained language to prohibit municipalities from mandating a “living wage” above the state minimum wage and other rules related to employee benefits.

The other vetoed bills that could be considered during Veto Session include:

·         HB 63 - Exempts certain political races from provisions specifying how candidates must be nominated.

·         HB 326 - Specifies that each defined benefit pension plan must establish a board member education program.

·         HB 618 - Changes the laws regarding the disposition of human remains.

·         HB 629 - Changes the laws regarding public retirement systems.

·         HB 799 - Moves the 12th Division of the 16th Judicial Circuit Court from the City of Kansas City to the City of Independence.

·         HB 878 - Specifies that the Department of Public Safety must have the authority to commission corporate security advisors and establishes procedures to do so.

·         HB 1022 - Authorizes a return of premiums paid by insureds.

·         HB 1098 - Changes the laws regarding trust companies.

·         SB 20 - Creates a sales and use tax exemption for materials and utilities used by commercial laundries.

·         SB 67 - Authorizes certain court surcharges, Buchanan County to establish a county municipal court, certain circuits with a SORTS facility to appoint a court marshal, requires certain reporting regarding municipal courts and modifies procedure in landlord tenant cases.

·         SB 142 - Requires the Department of Natural Resources to take certain actions when submitting plans the Environmental Protection Agency.

·         SB 345 - Increases fees imposed by the Director of the Division of Finance.

Legislative Committees Continue Investigation into Planned Parenthood Allegations

Committees in both the House and Senate have continued to ask questions regarding the allegations that Planned Parenthood has sold fetal tissues for profit. In the Missouri House, the Ways and Means Committee worked with the Children and Families Committee to take a close look at the actions of Planned Parenthood in Missouri in an effort to ensure illegal activities are not taking place in the Show-Me State.

The public outcry against Planned Parenthood began after an anti-abortion group released video showing a Planned Parenthood executive discuss how the organization disposes of the tissues and organs from aborted fetuses. Pro-life activists claim the video proves that Planned Parenthood is selling the tissues for profit, which is illegal. Planned Parenthood claims the allegations are not true and any costs associated with the tissues are there to cover related expenses.

During the hearing in the House, committee members were disappointed by the lack of information provided by the director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Representatives asked numerous questions of Director Vasterling and several felt her responses failed to shed additional light on the practices of Planned Parenthood in Missouri. Both committee chairs said they plan to continue moving forward with the investigation as they seek answers regarding whether Planned Parenthood has broken the law, or if there are any loopholes in state statute that the organization can exploit. The committees plan to hold another hearing in the coming weeks.

Budget Committee Takes Closer Look at Medicaid Enrollment

The House Budget Committee met recently to take a closer look at a recent spike in Medicaid enrollment in Missouri. Members of the committee questioned representatives from the social services department regarding the state’s Medicaid system hitting a high point of 918,000 cases in May. That number is up by more than 55,000 cases from January, and is nearly 100,000 cases more than the system handled in May of 2014.

Officials learned the spike is the result of a combination of factors including a new enrollment system that was put in place in January, and new policies put in place through the federal Affordable Care Act. Department officials testified that the new enrollment system had its share of problems that led to a backlog of pending applications. The delays caused enrollment to drop sharply and then spike as employees created workarounds to process applications more efficiently.

The state has since terminated its contract with the vendor originally hired to develop the new enrollment system. Officials are optimistic the contract with a new vendor will lead to the successful development of a more efficient process. Department officials also believe things will stabilize as they fully adjust to Affordable Care Act processing and review guidelines.

Several members of the committee raised concerns about the impact these inefficiencies have had on some of the most vulnerable citizens in the state. They noted that the department had claimed the new system would be more efficient and provide adequately for all Medicaid recipients, but that the delivered product fell far short of expectations. They also questioned how much additional cost the state will incur now that a second vendor had to be contracted with to finish the system.

The Budget Committee plans to continue taking a closer look at the state’s Medicaid system when it meets again on September 15.