A Moment with Mike for April 30th, 2008

In the last few years, the General Assembly in Missouri has made considerable effort to crack down on fraud and abuse in many programs. We have been able to reduce fraud in our Medicaid system and have worked to end frivolous lawsuit abuse that caused medical malpractice insurance premiums to skyrocket. These changes have begun to bring a higher level of accountability to our state and we are continuing on this path by looking at illegal immigration and the drain it imposes on Missouri families and our public benefits.
Across America and here in Missouri, we have many programs meant to address the urgent needs of our citizens. Services like MO HealthNet provide health care services and Utilicare helps with the heating costs for low-income families. These and programs including food stamps and housing assistance offer help we hope is a temporary relief for Missourians who are going through a rough period. While it is my personal hope that most citizens only use these temporarily during tough times, it is our tax dollars that pay for these services and they should be there when Missouri taxpayers need them. There is already a high demand for these programs and we need to make sure that our Missouri citizens are first in line to receive these needed services and that they are not exhausted by those that are coming into our country and our state illegally.
The House recently passed HB 1626 which would prohibit certain illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits. Passing this bill would add greater accountability to our programs, save the tax-payers money, act as a deterrent and send a strong message about Missouri’s priorities. To qualify for Missouri programs, applicants would have to take simple steps to prove they are Missouri citizens. This bill outlines those steps and the necessary documentation to assure that those who are here illegally are not receiving benefits and that our Missouri citizens are not denied.
We are also working to empower our law enforcement. We have given approval to HB 1549, which would require the Highway Patrol and other law enforcement personnel to verify the immigration status of any person arrested and inform federal authorities if the person is found to be an illegal immigrant. This same bill would also prohibit sanctuary cities and crack down on those who commit drivers’ license fraud – two ways we can strongly discourage illegal immigrants from making Missouri their home.
Another public benefit we want to make sure is only utilized by U.S. citizens and legal immigrants is our public system of higher education. We have passed a bill that would prohibit Missouri public institutions of higher education from knowingly enrolling unlawfully present aliens.
It is common sense to make sure people who are here illegally, who don’t pay the same taxes as legal residents, are not entitled to receive our public benefits. We will continue to make every effort to continue to reduce fraud and abuse of our public assistance programs in Missouri.
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 406A State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.