Volume 17, Edition 1   •  July 6, 2007

Medicaid Reform Signed into Law by Governor

In an historic move to improve the lives of thousands of low-income Missourians, Governor Matt Blunt this week signed into law a bill establishing MO HealthNet, a new way to provide health care for low income Missourians that was developed with advice and suggestions from Missourians across the state. For the first time in Missouri history, every participant is guaranteed to have access to primary and preventative care. The new law replaces the old Medicaid system and will improve health care for low income Missourians by giving participants meaningful choices. It also empowers participants by providing opportunities for prevention and wellness and also recognizing that participants should have one central point of contact and a doctor who knows them personally. The new system, first proposed by the governor during his State of the State Address in January, reforms a broken system that was perpetuated for decades by Democrats who threw money into Medicaid but did nothing to improve the quality of care for low income Misourians. MO HealthNet gives participants the option to choose their health care home and expands health care coverage to employed persons with disabilities and will cover foster children until they are 21 years of age. Another important part of the new law is that it allows more children to be eligible for health coverage under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP. "MO HealthNet participants deserve the safest and best care that we can provide, and an important component of quality care is improved and effective technology," the governor said. "MO HealthNet will allow us to use technology to provide world-class health care for Missourians, while reducing costs and improving access."

Governor Blunt Vetos Bloated Spending

Today Governor Blunt vetoed HB327 demonstrating his commitment to ensure Missouri’s budget remains affordable and that it utilizes Missouri’s taxpayer dollars wisely. While the bill included the governor’s requested Quality Jobs expansion and was passed overwhelmingly by Democrats and Republicans, it also was laced with hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax credits and spending that would have jeopardized the sound budgetary footing the governor and our Republican legislature have created. Governor Blunt inherited a $1.1 BILLION dollar deficit when he took office and in one year working with Republican legislators he created a surplus. His decision to remain vigilant to ensure spending in Jefferson City doesn’t go the way of Washington, DC is refreshing and great news for the people of Missouri.

"There are important initiatives in the bill," Governor Blunt said. "The Quality Jobs Act we created in 2005 has helped Missourians create more than 94,000 new jobs since 2005. Ultimately, however, it became loaded with excessive spending that simply does not benefit the average Missouri taxpayer. There is no difference between spending taxpayer dollars by appropriations, and spending them by tax credits. Each should meet the same test of fiscal responsibility."

Read the entire release here.

Governor Signs Social Security Tax Cut into Law

Thousands of elderly Missourians that receive Social Security will receive a tax break under legislation signed into law this week by Governor Blunt. The new law would gradually exempt most Social Security benefits from state income taxes, starting this year and being phased in through 2012. The legislation contains a similar tax break for some people who opted out of Social Security for their pension systems. That includes teachers, firefighters, police officers, military personnel, federal employees and railroad workers. The governor toured the state talking about the tax cuts along with House Speaker Rod Jetton, who sponsored the legislation. "Missouri's tax on Social Security benefits is an unjust cut on Missourians' hard earned income. Like many other challenges this is not a problem we created, but it is a problem we have solved," the governor said. "For too long Missouri's social security tax has kept seniors from receiving the benefits they earned. I am pleased to sign the Senior Tax Justice Act ending the Social Security cut for tens of thousands of Missouri seniors." Missouri was only one of a handful of states that tax Social Security benefits.

Veterans Bill Becomes Law

As Missourians celebrated the birth of our nation this week, Governor Matt Blunt signed into law legislation that honors the service and sacrifice of our veterans. The governor signed the Stolen Valor Act which makes it illegal for a person to deliberately misrepresent themselves as a veteran or medal recipient. The first offense is a Class A misdemeanor and subsequent offenses are a Class D Felony. The legislation also increases the Missouri Veterans Commission matching grants for veterans’ service officer programs to $1 million and exempts veterans’ organizations with a congressional charter from paying real and personal property taxes. The governor has also signed into law a measure to help veterans access their federal medical benefits, allow veterans without permanent homes to access their rightfully earned benefits through charitable or religious organizations and create the Vietnam War Medallion Program. The governor has witnessed firsthand the dedication and commitment that Missouri troops make everyday to protect and defend our freedom with visits to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Mexican Border. Blunt is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserves. The governor also announced that Vietnam Veterans are now eligible for special recognition through the Missouri Veterans Recognition Program. The Vietnam War Medallion Program, with a medal, medallion and certificate, was created during the 2006 legislative session by House Bill 978. This program was modeled after the successful World War II and Korean Conflict award programs.

Castle Doctrine Measure Signed by Governor

Governor Blunt has signed into law a measure allowing Missourians to use deadly force against intruders who enter their homes, cars or other dwellings without fear of prosecution or lawsuits. The measure, known as the Castle Doctrine, spells out that people are not required to retreat from an intruder and can use deadly force once the person illegally enters their home, car or other dwelling. Under the old law, deadly force was justified only if people believed it necessary to protect themselves or others from death or serious injury. The bill also includes a response to the Virginia Tech slayings by allowing court records ordering people to get mental health treatment to go to the national system used for background checks on gun buyers. “Americans maintain a deep reverence for their Second Amendment rights. This legislation is an extension of those rights. It ensures law-abiding Missourians will not be punished when they use force to defend themselves and their family from attacks in their own home or vehicle,” the governor said. “I commend the General Assembly for supporting and passing this important law for Missouri families.”

Dempsey Selected as 23rd State Senate District Candidate

The Republican 23rd Senatorial District Committee selected State Rep. Tom Dempsey as the Republican nominee for State Senate, District 23, to replace Chuck Gross, who resigned to become St. Charles County’s Director of Administration. Governor Blunt called a special election for Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007. To date, Dempsey has raised more than $250,000 for the race, showing the strong support he has among voters in the 23rd District. Click here to see the press release.

Governor Secures Aid for Farmers

Governor Blunt continued to keep his commitment to Missouri farmers as U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns approved the governor’s request for a disaster designation for 104 Missouri counties due to losses caused by a severe freeze that occurred in March and April 2007. Ten additional counties were named as contiguous disaster counties, bringing the total to 114 counties in Missouri eligible for assistance. The disaster declaration by the USDA will make farmers in all Missouri counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency if eligibility requirements are met. Local FSA offices will be able to provide Missouri farmers with additional information on the low-interest loans. "This disaster declaration is good news for Missouri farmers as they recover from the freeze damage that occurred on their farms," the governor said.

More Funding to Crack Down on Sexual Predators

Governor Blunt this week continued to show his commitment to cracking down on sexual predators. The governor has announced the award of nearly $1.2 million to independently recognized task forces and local law enforcement agencies which will provide personnel, training and other resources needed to protect children from cyber predators, pornography and exploitation. The 2008 Internet Cyber Crime Grant Program (ICCGP) awards were granted to five county, eight city and two state agencies through a competitive application process. The money will be used to support detectives’ salaries, training, equipment and computer forensic personnel who focus on preventing and controlling cyber crime. Local agencies matched 10 percent of the state funding they receive. In January the governor recommended a half million dollar increase to support the multi-jurisdictional Internet Cyber Crimes Task Forces which equip local law enforcement agencies with the resources they need to track cyber sexual predators. And he signed legislation in May which allowed grant money to be used for equipment, supplies and services. As most Missourians know, the governor enacted one of the strongest versions of Jessica’s Law in the nation by signing legislation that mandates a lifetime sentence with a minimum of 30 years for serious sexual crimes that are committed against young children and calls for certain sex offenders to be monitored their entire lives. The governor has also led the successful effort to expand the state’s sexual offender registry and add new tools to make it a more powerful resource for parents and law enforcement officials.

Missourians Encouraged to Support Our Troops

Missourians are being encouraged to stand behind our brave men and women serving overseas by signing up for Missouri’s “Support Our Troops” license plates. The key to offering these plates is to provide an initial block of 200 applications to the Missouri Department of Revenue before it will begin producing them. And that’s where Missourians come in. The Missouri Republican Party will accept applications which will then be forwarded on to the national Support Our Troops organization for submission to the Revenue Department. To be eligible to receive an application, Missourians must submit: A completed form DOR-1716, an original Emblem Use Authorization Statement (EUAS) from Missouri Support Our Troops, and check for $15 made payable to the Department of Revenue. Completed Support Our Troops applications and accompanying information can be sent to Missouri Republican Party, 204 East Dunklin, Jefferson City, MO, 65101 or you can apply directly through the Support Our Troops website above. Thank you for supporting our troops!

McCaskill Votes Against Leader in the War On Terror

In a disturbing lack of support for our troops and their efforts in the war on terror, Claire McCaskill joined three of her Democrat colleagues as the only U.S. senators to vote against the successful confirmation of Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute as the President’s personal war adviser. Lute was nominated in May to coordinate efforts among various government agencies to help fight and defeat terrorist elements currently operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet McCaskill and her fellow Democrat Sens. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Jim Webb of Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana still voted against the nomination that was ultimately approved 94-4. McCaskill’s disturbing vote shows Missourians that she would prefer to play politics with the lives of our fighting men and women and undermine our ongoing efforts in the war on terror rather than support a true leader like General Lute.

Media Watch

Even though the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Terry Ganey has so far avoided addressing Claire McCaskill’s conflict of interest regarding Missouri Housing Development Commission and her husband’s business dealings, he did at least call Jay Nixon out for his hypocrisy regarding the MHDC. Ganey noted that Nixon opposes the governor’s plan to remove four statewide elected officials from the commission to avoid the appearance of political influence on commission decisions. Then Ganey adds this little gem of a paragraph that exposes Nixon’s hypocrisy on the issue: “Nixon, a Democrat, has proposed a ban on political contributions from developers to commissioners. Nixon has been on the commission for 14 years, longer than any other member. He never made that suggestion when Democrats occupied positions of power on the MHDC.” It seems at least some in the media are beginning to catch on to the shifting positions of Nixon, who will oppose anything the governor proposes for political purposes rather than look out for the best interests of the people of Missouri.

MissouriPulse.com Post of the Week

Three States Phase Out Second Injury Funds

As Second Injury Fund (SIF) debate heats up in Missouri, three states--New York, Arkansas and South Carolina--have recently taken legislative action to phase out their respective SIFs.  To date, approximately 20 states have phased out their SIFs since the 1990 enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which rendered the funds obsolete.

Below is a synopsis of recent SIF-related actions taken in New York, Arkansas and South Carolina:

  • New York: Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, signed legislation in March that closed the state’s hemorrhaging SIF. The closure was part of a larger workers comp measure supported by organized labor and industry.

  • Arkansas: In April, the Democrat dominated State House and Senate passed legislation to phase out the state’s SIF, which was teetering on the brink of insolvency. In accordance with the legislature’s wishes, Gov. Mike Beebe, another Democrat, signed the bill.

  • South Carolina: Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, signed legislation this past week that will phase out the state’s SIF, which a recent state audit found to be an unnecessary drain on resources.

Of the three states that recently chose the SIF phase out route, only the long-term efforts in South Carolina triggered significant coverage of showdowns that pitted trial lawyers and Big Labor against business interests. In Missouri, however, the battle lines have already been drawn as Big Labor and the trial lawyers that feed from the SIF trough immediately came to the defense of the obsolete, scandal-prone fund following the release of a controversial state audit.

Unlike Democratic leaders in New York and Arkansas, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon and State Auditor Susan Montee remain steadfast in their support for the perpetuation of the SIF and continue to champion it on behalf of their labor and trial lawyers supporters. That is unfortunate. Nixon’s mismanagement of the fund, his proximity to trial lawyers that work the fund and Montee’s glaring conflict-of-interest stemming from her family law firm's SIF work should not obstruct reform efforts.

On the flip side, Missouri Republicans floated a variety of SIF reforms during the recent legislative session but did not reach a consensus. As the public awaits the outcome of ongoing SIF-related studies and investigations, this site remains hopeful that legislators will support SIF phase out as it has proven its efficacy as both a practical and bipartisan proposal elsewhere.

New MRP Radio Ad Launched Highlighting Pro-Life Commitment

The Missouri Republican State Committee launched a radio ad today highlighting the pro-life accomplishments of Governor Blunt and pointing out Jay Nixon’s anti-life stance. Unfortunately Republicans have to pay to get the message out about the good work they are doing to improve the lives of Missourians but it’s a reality we are dealing with (see previous Voice articles on journalists contributing to Democrats by a 9-1 margin). Click here to listen to the ad.

The Cornerstone - IMPORTANT REPORTING REMINDER

Quarterly campaign finance reports covering activity during April 1, 2007 thru June 30, 2007 are due no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, July 16, 2007. Paper reports mailed to the Missouri Ethics Commission must be postmarked no later than July 14th to be considered timely filed. The Missouri Ethics Commission will fine committees $10 per day for late reports. If you have a question about filing deadlines, visit the Missouri Ethics Commission Disclosure Report Filing Calendar below:

http://www.mec.mo.gov/Ethics/GeneralInfo/GenInfoPDF/2007CFDisclosureReportingDates.pdf.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact Emily Kliethermes at the Missouri Republican Party at 573-636-3146 or email her at ekliet@mogop.org.

Thoughts and Prayers

The Missouri Republican Party encourages Republicans across the state to keep these individuals in your thoughts and prayers:

Paul Busiek, husband of Mavis Busiek. Paul’s health concerns continue.

Major Daniel Ellinger, U.S. Army, son of 6th District State Committeewoman Carol Ellinger, who is beginning his second tour of Iraq.

Brian Grace, Director of Public Affairs at the Department of Economic Development, who has cancer.

Harold Hamann, father of 15th District State Committeewoman Peggy Adams, who was recently hospitalized.

Mike Keathley, Commissioner of Administration, who has cancer.

Evelyn Kinker, mother of 21st District State Committeewoman Linda Leabo, who has heart problems.

Rosemary Kochner, 13th District State Committeewoman, who has continued health concerns.

State Rep. Scott Lipke, 157th House District, whose unborn daughter has been diagnosed with a heart condition.

Mary Mallien, 14th District State Committeewoman, who was recently hospitalized.

Bob Schwartz, 3rd District State Committeeman, who recently had surgery.

Dawn Sprick, daughter of 21st District State Committeeman Gary Harris, who has cancer.

Correction

Due to an editing error, The Voice incorrectly reported last week that the special election in the 23rd State Senatorial District was called for Sept. 4, 2008. It will be held this Sept. 4, 2007.

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