01/27/20 - Tell State Senators to reject threats to Medicaid benefits and the petition process!!
Last week in DC the GOP Senate majority, including Missouri’s Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, rejected all amendments to subpoena witnesses and documents in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Meanwhile in Jefferson City, the GOP Senate majority were busy working on alarming legislation that would threaten Medicaid healthcare benefits and the citizen petition initiative and referendum process.
So for this week’s Missouri Mondays, tell State Senators to reject Senate Joint Resolution SJR 32 and Senate Bill SB 522.
Senate Joint Resolution 32 - Requires certain MO HealthNet participants to comply with work and community engagement requirement - Sponsor Sen. David Sater
Last action: 1/22/2020 - Voted Do Pass Senate Seniors, Families and Children Committee
Tell State Senators to vote NO on SJR 32 because:
SJR 32 is a constitutional amendment and if approved by voters would require the state to apply for a waiver to allow Missouri to institute Medicaid work reporting rules.
SJR 32 would require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work or volunteer 80 hours per month to receive their health care benefit.
Similar legislation was passed in Arkansas and resulted in loss of Medicaid health coverage for more than 18,000 Arkansans.
Such laws in other states have also been struck down in court for creating too many obstacles to receiving healthcare including scarcity of jobs in some parts of the state, irregular working hours, lack of computer access or skills, and health issues of the individual or family member that prevent working. Should SJR 32 become law, Missouri would also likely be sued, needlessly wasting taxpayer dollars.
Senators on the Seniors, Families, and Children Committee:
David Sater, Chair - (573) 751-1480
Cindy O’Laughlin, Vice-Chair - (573) 751-7985
Andrew Koenig - (573) 751-5568
Karla May (D) - (573) 751-3599
Jeanie Riddle - (573) 751-2757
Gary Romine - (573) 751-4008
Jill Schupp - (573) 751-9762
Senate Bill 522 - Modifies the initiative and referendum process
Sponsor: Senator David Sater
Last action: 1/22/2020 Hearing Conducted Senate Local Government and Elections Committee
Tell State Senators to reject the SB 522 attack on the citizen initiative and referendum process that would make it more expensive and add unnecessary requirements as follows:
Requires the text of proposed measures to be in 12-point Times New Roman font with margins of one-inch
Establishes a fee of $500 per petition, along with an additional $25 per page after a petition exceeds 10 pages, with the option for a refund if the measure becomes certified for the ballot
Enacts a 12-week period after general elections when initiative sheets can’t be filed
Each sample ballot must include the question: “Shall the measure summarized be approved?” with “yes” and “no” options
Sets the total number of words in a petition’s summary statement at no more than 150
Senators on the Committee on Local Government and Elections:
Sandy Crawford, Chair - (573) 751-8793
David Sater - (573) 751-1480
Dan Hegeman - (573) 751-1415
Lincoln Hough - (573) 751-1311
Doug Libla - (573) 751-4843
John Rizzo - (573) 751-3074
Scott Sifton - (573) 751-0220
To find contact information for your State Senator go to https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default.aspx
We also hope you will join our friends with Heartland Alliance for Progress TONIGHT Monday January 27 for a Presidential Candidate Forum with candidate campaign surrogates from 5:15pm - 7:00pm, 106 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108. Representatives of these candidates have confirmed or said they will try to have someone participate: Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sanders, Warren, and Yang. Whether you've already chosen a favorite or just want more information they hope to see you there! The Missouri Presidential Primary is just weeks away, on March 10!”
THANK YOU! for answering the Missouri Mondays CALL TO ACTION!
