A Moment with Mike --- Legislative Process Churns On Despite Snow

      Despite the snow and bad weather last week, the legislative process churned on and several pieces of legislation were passed and sent to the Senate for further deliberation.  Two of the initiatives were House Joint Resolutions that, if passed, would be voted on by the citizens of Missouri to decide if they would become a part of the Missouri Constitution.

      HJR 11 & 7 would protect the traditional rights of Missourians to engage in the farming traditions that have been handed down for generations.  The proposal comes in response to the efforts of out-of-state animal rights groups that have attempted to force overly burdensome rules and regulations on farm families.  These groups have had success in some states and seriously inhibited the ability of agriculture to produce products that give us a safe and reasonable food supply that we have enjoyed for  decades.  Other states around us such as North Dakota, Oklahoma and Indiana have passed similar initiatives in defense of the traditional rights of farmers and ranchers in their states.

      The resolution approved in the House would, upon voter approval, affirm the right of farmers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices and it would prevent the enactment of laws that abridge the right of farmers to employ agricultural technology and modern livestock production and ranching practices.  There is nothing in the intent of this resolution that would negate local control or “best practices” involving environmental regulations and personal rights.  If Missouri is to continue to be a leader in agricultural production and a state that embraces our agriculture roots and traditions, we must seriously consider putting protections in place.

      Another Joint Resolution that passed out of the House last week would create a new lottery ticket that would provide additional funding for the Missouri Veterans Commission.  Last year the Missouri House developed a funding solution that will generate a steady revenue stream for our state’s veterans’ homes but the continual need for maintenance and capital improvements is a burden that we never can keep up with.  We believe that the additional revenue that this resolution would provide will help fill the gap and help provide for those men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country.

      There was more action last week involving the very controversial topic of Medicaid expansion.  Two different House committees voted to reject a proposed expansion of the state’s Medicaid system.  The House Appropriations Committee on Health, Mental Health and Social Services rejected plans to add funding for the expansion in the 2014 budget.  At the same time, the House Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability rejected a proposal to put the expansion into law.  It seems that the action of these two committees has sent a message that the Missouri House will not support efforts to add more than 300,000 Missourians to the Medicaid rolls.

      While the federal government has tried to entice states to expand Medicaid with the promise of additional federal dollars, Missouri is reluctant to accept a deal that we feel is ultimately financially unsustainable for our state.  We are hesitant to pour more money and add more people into a system that is inefficient and a terrible value for taxpayers.  We must continue to look for ways to transform our Medicaid system into one that provides a higher quality of care and represents a better investment of taxpayer dollars.

     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 401B State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.