Responsible State Budget Signed into Law

For the third year in a row, Governor Blunt signed into law a fiscally responsible state budget that will help improve the lives of Missourians and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. The $21.5 billion budget includes a $132.6 million increase for the funding formula to support elementary and secondary schools, bringing the total increase in education funding to more than half a billion dollars over the last three years. It also includes more than $41.2 million in new state dollars for two and four year colleges and universities, significantly increases funding for needs-based scholarships, and secures nearly $950 million to transform Missouri's health care safety net and introduce MO HealthNet. Thanks to the Governor’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, this year’s budget includes a $200 million ending balance to fund key priorities, including education and health care in future fiscal years. Among the budget’s many highlights are:

STUDENTS

• $132.6 million increase to continue full funding of the foundation formula, bringing total new education funding under Gov. Blunt's leadership to more than a half of a billion dollars
• $3.6 million increase for the A+ Schools Program
• $2.9 million increase to expand eMINTS, which will provide technology to 100 additional classrooms in 100 different schools
• $2 million increase for Parents As Teachers Program
• $1 million for afterschool programs expansion with emphasis on math and science as well as health and wellness
• $250,000 increase to assist students who take Advanced Placement tests in math and science
• $41.2 million increase for Missouri's public two and four year higher education institutions
• $20.4 million increase for state scholarship programs, which adds to the $25 million in new funding for scholarships in the Fiscal Year 2007 supplemental budget, allowing additional students access to higher education and encouraging the state's top academic achievers to attend Missouri institutions

PUBLIC SAFETY

• $1.1 million increase to expand crime lab services in Springfield and Jasper County
• $1 million increase to provide grants to law enforcement agencies fighting child exploitation on the Internet
• $150,000 increase to support the INOBTR (I Know Better) Campaign that will provide Missourians with information about online predators with the use of innovative strategies to communicate with children and parents about the dangers that can be found on the Internet
• $150,000 increase to improve services for victims of domestic violence by expanding the statewide victim notification system to include orders of protection

HEALTH and WELLNESS

• $12.1 million increase to improve the quality of care being delivered to Missourians receiving in-home services
• $3.9 million increase for autism services to reduce waiting lists for diagnostic services, expand regional treatment services for children, and help develop an intensive day treatment pilot project
• $2.5 million increase to develop integrated home and community-based services for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families through the Circle of H.O.P.E. grant
• $1.3 million increase to implement the governor's community partnership to improve the services and safety for Bellefontaine Habilitation Center residents
• $760,000 for the Alternatives to Abortion Program
• $200,000 in new funding for the Alternatives to Abortion Program
• $500,000 increase to expand the number of breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Show Me Healthy Women Program
• $6.7 million increase to provide child care for working families who earn less than 127 percent of the federal poverty level. This funding ensures no qualified families will have to wait for child care
• $5.7 million increase to provide additional placements through the Adoption Subsidy and Subsidized Guardianship programs, which provide permanent homes for abused and neglected children
• $6.4 billion total funding for Medicaid that reflects $949.6 million in new funding, and includes $129.4 million for MO HealthNet:
  • $66.1 million for physician related rate increase
  • $20.2 million increase for medical care for employed disabled clients
  • $17.4 million to establish a health care home and provide an annual health risk assessment for MO HealthNet recipients
  • $13.2 million increase to make health care coverage affordable to uninsured lower-income Missourians
  • $1.7 million increase to extend health care benefits to foster children until their 21st birthday

FARM FAMILIES and AGRICULTURE

• $21.5 million increase to the Missouri Qualified Biodiesel Producer Incentive Fund and $6.4 million increase to the Missouri Qualified Fuel Ethanol Producer Incentive Fund to help position Missouri as a leader in renewable fuels

WORKERS, JOBS and ECONOMIC GROWTH

• $13.5 million for the Life Sciences Trust Fund for research capacity with a focus on animal health and nutrition and plant science, marking the first time since its inception the fund has received state dollars
• $403 million increase for road and bridge construction and maintenance

VETERANS

• $5 million increase to maintain services provided to veterans residing in veterans' homes
• $2.8 million increase for additional staff to allow homes to serve more veterans
• $1 million increase for increased medical costs at veterans' homes
• $543,721 increase to add Vietnam War veterans to those recognized by the state for their service to our country

Sen. Bond Talks to Missourians about Immigration Debate

Following is a statement to Missourians from Sen. Kit Bond about his decision this week to vote against proposed immigration legislation. The Senate failed 46-53 to invoke cloture which forced the bill managers to withdraw the bill, ending any hopes of final passage:

"This week I voted to kill the Senate's fundamentally-flawed amnesty bill. We need to do more to secure our borders, but we cannot be held hostage by those who want amnesty for illegal aliens. I support cutting the flow of illegal immigration with more border barriers, detention facilities and enforcement agents, but I deeply oppose rewarding those who illegally entered or stayed in our country with a path to citizenship or new guaranteed federal entitlement benefits. This bill would legalize illegal immigrants who broke our laws and flouted our rules. Unfortunately, my attempts to strike that legalization and cut their path to citizenship failed. Additionally, many people did not realize that the 12 million illegal immigrants legalized in this bill would eventually qualify for Medicare, Social Security and other entitlements. The amnesty provisions and the $20 billion in new unfunded mandatory entitlement spending for illegal immigrants doomed this bill, and I was proud to oppose it.”

Special Election Called in 23rd Senatorial District

Governor Blunt this week called a special election for Sept. 4, 2007 to fill the vacancy in the 23rd state Senatorial District. The seat was previously held by former Republican Sen. Chuck Gross of St. Charles. Republican House Majority Leader Tom Dempsey announced on June 13 that he would seek the seat. “Four years ago, when I was elected House Majority Floor Leader, our state faced dire financial and economic circumstances. The state operating budget was 1.1 billion dollars in the red, public education funds were being withheld to cover for shortfalls in cash flow, and Missouri was losing more jobs than any other state in the country,” Dempsey said. “Today, our state revenues are on the rise, we have increased education funding by over 500 million dollars, and Missouri businesses have created 93,000 new, family-supporting jobs. Our responsible fiscal policies are continuing to pay off.”

Governor Signs Renewable Energy Bill

In an effort to increase energy production while protecting Missouri’s environment, Governor Blunt this week signed into law a measure to decrease pollution from energy production by encouraging an increase in the use of renewable energy from sources such as wind, hydroelectricity, solar power, hydrogen, and biomass. The new law creates renewable energy targets for utilities and sets targets for utilities to meet: a four percent renewable energy target by 2012, eight percent by 2015 and 11 percent by 2020. The law also requires the Office of Administration to ensure that at least 70 percent of the new vehicles purchased for the state fleet are flex fuel and allows municipal landfills to accept yard waste in order to create bio-reactors, which produce methane gas for use in energy production. Since taking office, the Governor has been a leader in promoting the use of renewable energy. Last year he signed legislation positioning Missouri as a leader in the use of alternative fuels by requiring that gasoline sold in Missouri be blended with 10 percent ethanol by 2008. Over the last three years, his administration has worked to pay back the incentive payments that were promised to the Missouri farm families that invested in ethanol cooperatives but were not made before he took office. "This legislation furthers my commitment to Missouri's Green Power Initiative by increasing energy production in our state while practicing responsible environmental stewardship by increasing the use of renewable energy," the Governor said.

Governor Rescues State Crime Lab

Governor Blunt’s commitment to fighting crime continued this week with his announcement that the state will fill a $400,000 funding gap to pay for a second state crime lab. The $5.9 million Springfield crime lab is due to open in October 2008 and will benefit the entire state by reducing the time it takes to analyze evidence for investigations and trials. The wait now can be as long as 10 months from the state’s one full-service crime lab in Jefferson City. Missouri’s central crime lab in Jefferson City is assisted by six field labs around the state, but those can run only a limited range of tests. Springfield will be the second full-service lab that can check everything. "The fundamental responsibility of government is to protect life and liberty, and this new partnership between Springfield and Missouri will ensure that our law enforcement community has the tools and resources to protect our loved ones from violent criminals," Governor Blunt said. The Governor also announced that he will appoint a six member commission through executive order to review and assess the ability of state funded forensic laboratories to provide quality services in a timely manner to law enforcement. As an advocate for improving the effectiveness of government spending, the Governor has determined that only laboratories providing exceptional services will continue to receive state funding.

Flood Damage Assessment Sought by Governor

With the impact of devastating flooding earlier this year still a top priority, Governor Blunt this week requested three joint federal and state assessment teams to collect infrastructure damage information in 10 Southwest Missouri counties impacted by the June flooding. May brought severe flooding to Northwest Missouri and along the Missouri river. Heavy rains in early June caused flash flooding in Southwest Missouri. These 10 counties were also hit hard last winter during the ice storm. The teams will assess the extent of public damages, including to roadways, bridges and utilities, and use the information collected to assist the Governor in determining if the affected area qualifies for federal assistance. The teams will meet with officials to assess Barton, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Polk and Webster Counties. "I have requested these assessment teams to meet with local and county officials to help determine economic losses in the affected area and to detail the true impact the flooding had on public property," the Governor said. Also this week, Governor Blunt said that based on additional May flooding information, he will ask President Bush to consider adding five more Missouri counties to the federal disaster declaration for Public Assistance. The Governor is asking the President to add the following counties: Caldwell, Clinton, Lafayette, Linn and Sullivan. Earlier this month, the President approved the Governor’s request for 19 counties for a disaster declaration for Public Assistance. The initial 19 counties included: Andrew, Atchison, Bates, Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Daviess, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Platte, Ray, Saline and Worth.

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