MOScout Daily Update: MedEx Lawsuit - Lucas Works Police Budget - Earl to Biodiesel - April Jobs Report - Neidorff Reaction and more...
MedEx Lawsuit
Supporters of Medicaid Expansion sued the state, saying the voter-approved program must be implemented. MOIndy reports here.
· The least surprising lawsuit of the year, to force Missouri to provide Medicaid coverage to 275,000 people eligible under a 2020 initiative petition, was filed Thursday in Cole County.
· The lawsuit argues there is no legal reason to treat people who become eligible July 1 differently from those who are currently eligible. “The DSS appropriations bill does not limit any MO HealthNet funding for coverage of particular categories of eligible individuals,” the lawsuit states. “Nothing in the DSS appropriations bill prevents the agencies from using appropriated funds to cover individuals whose eligibility arises under the constitution.”
· The legal team for the lawsuit brings together two attorneys who in the past have found themselves at odds over state policy – Chuck Hatfield, former chief of staff to Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon, and Lowell Pearson, former general counsel to Republican Gov. Matt Blunt.
What It Means
Now comes the long slog of a court case. It’s impossible to predict where we end up, but Hatfield and Pearson are no slouches and if you had to bet your house, you’d probably put your stake with them.
I think what’s most intriguing is how Governor Mike Parson, who has been unfailingly pro-economic development, got maneuvered into opposing what would clearly be good for the Missouri economy. I’m wondering if they wished they’d been more aggressive during session on this issue and the FRA snafu instead of targeting small-ball issues like the anti-perjury provision.
Lucas Lassos Police Budget
KCStar reports on a “dramatic day at City Hall” See it here.
· The Kansas City Council passed two groundbreaking ordinances Thursday that give city leaders more influence over how the state-controlled Kansas City Police Department spends taxpayer funds. The pair of 9-4 votes, at the end of a dramatic day at City Hall, represent perhaps the most significant exercise of local control over the KCPD since it was returned to state governance in 1939.
· [Mayor Quinton] Lucas’ ordinances work in two steps. The first reduces the KCPD budget in the current fiscal year that started this month by $42.3 million. The $42.3 million isn’t a random figure: It’s the most Kansas City can reduce the police budget while still following Missouri law that requires the city to spend 20% of its general fund revenue on policing… The second ordinance sends City Manager Brian Platt into negotiations with the Board of Police Commissioners to negotiate a contract that determines how the police will spend that $42.3 million.
· In a statement earlier Thursday, KCPD Chief Rick Smith said he didn’t know Thursday’s action was coming… The Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police called the legislation “reckless.”
The move met with backlash on Twitter from many Republican electeds. For example, State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick weighed in: Our local governments have more money than ever before as a result of federal COVID funds. Crime is also out of control. Yet each of our major cities are defunding the police. Dangerous and wrong.
Still, not all conservatives were aghast. Jeremy Cady tweeted a more nuanced view…
1. KC has a mandated police budget and met it
2. it's not necessarily the state's job to dictate line items each year for a city
3. voters can handle it…
[D]oes throwing money at government education create better schools? Does more money simply solve our problems?...
I don't agree with @tishaura or @QuintonLucasKC on a lot. But they were elected to do a job. They think they can fund other services or programs that may also decrease crime. Let them, and let them suffer the consequences - good or bad.
Earl to BioDiesel
The governor’s legislative director, Jeffrey Earl, announced on Twitter that he was leaving the administration to take a job with National BioDiesel Board. He’ll be their director of state regulatory affairs. See the announcement here.
His departure was expected; I wrote about it back in April.
MRL Backs Ashcroft on PQ FRA Talk
Press release: Missouri Right to Life supports the statements to protect innocent human lives made by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. Senators Paul Wieland and Bob Onder are fighting for simple amendments to ensure Missourians do not have to pay for abortion drugs or send our tax dollars to abortion providers. These amendments are narrowly focused. The Wieland amendment includes a limited number of drugs. And the Onder amendment is to ensure Missourians tax dollars do not go to abortion providers for abortion.
These amendments are needed in response to the anti-life ruling of the Missouri Supreme Court last year that said we can’t do this in a budget bill anymore. With super-majorities in the House and Senate, this should not be difficult. Missouri Right to Life and pro-life Missourians asks the House and Senate to save these unborn babies, protect women and pass these amendments on the Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA) legislation when special session is called.
What It Means
This issue seems to be getting stickier and stickier….
MO Jobs Report
The April jobs report can be found here. We’re slowly creeping up on pre-pandemic numbers. Still missing people from the labor force, and still missing jobs.
· Civilian labor force: 3,069,614 vs pre-pandemic labor force of 3,096,593 = still down 26,979.
· Total employment: 2,942,856 vs pre-pandemic employment of 2,982,405 = still down 39,549.
Shared Parenting Amendment
National Parents Organization writes about the ultimately unsuccessful push late in session by Sen. Bill Eigel to change “shared parenting” law. Read it here.
eMailbag on Neidorff Threatens Move Over MedEx
· Your commentary on Centene demonstrates why Missouri is an embarrassment. A Fortune 500 company and huge employee talks about leaving the state because the General Assembly failed to fund a voter approved expansion and you treat it like a tantrum from a spoiled child. The General Assembly will talk about the Second Amendment and anti-birth control legislation but if you criticize them about not doing something that would help the poor AND be friendly to a hometown business, you get eye rolls. Centene leaving would be terrible for the state. Health Care actually IS our biggest industry and Missouri treats them like garbage. Maybe Centene should call themselves an Agriculture company to get you and the GA to pay attentions.
· Regarding Centene, I'm calling bullsh*t. He's upset because no one has offered his company any tax credits to stay in Missouri. Also, North Carolina is one of a dozen states that has not adopted Medicaid expansion.
Lobbyists Registrations
Gamble & Schlemeier added Tata America International Corporation "TCS".
Michael Bowman added Jeffersonian Project dba ALEC Action.
Trent Ford deleted Lutheran Senior Services.
Courtney Mertens deleted Curo Group LLC, and Mertens Ventures LLC.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to MO McCullough, and Jessica Pabst.
Saturday: Rep. Travis Fitzwater.
Sunday: Zach Monroe, and Meredith Shadwick.
MOScout Schedule
I’m continuing my post-session slacking with another weekend off. No Weekender or Sunday6, see you Monday!