05/17/21 - MOLEG Session Ends with Gov. Parson Violating State Constitution, Ignoring Your Vote!
Governor Parson broke his promise to the people of Missouri this week when he withdrew the state’s plan for Medicaid expansion. He blatantly violated the Missouri constitution, which requires Medicaid to cover some 275,000 Missourians who do not make enough money to qualify for insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
“The governor lied," said Rep. Peter Merideth, the ranking Democrat on the Missouri House Budget Committee. "He said he represented all of Missouri and that he would uphold the Constitution, but he's not. He's a former sheriff, and I would have thought he would know better than to violate the Constitution, but here we are: He lied, and Missourians are going to pay the price." --NBC News
Citing lack of money in the budget, Parson said the state could not afford the expansion, a claim that is patently untrue. As we reported last week House Minority Leader Crystal Quade said, “We saw this week with the passage of the state budget left over about $7 billion - $8 billion dollars that we did not spend but yet we continue to hear the Republican majority say that we can’t afford to follow the state constitution, that we cannot afford to do what voters overwhelmingly told us to do by fully funding Medicaid as the voters directed.”
Parson’s actions will lead to costly litigation funded by taxpayers and to unnecessary suffering for thousands of uninsured Missourians as their health care is delayed.
Although the legislature claims it cannot afford to expand Medicaid, it evidently can afford to offer up to $50 million in the next few years to private schools through tax credits.
TELL GOVERNOR PARSON TO VETO HCS HB 349 NO TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION!
HCS HB 349 establishes the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program to pay for costs like private school tuition. It “would allow residents to receive a tax credit for donating to certain educational assistance organizations. Those organizations would then provide scholarships to eligible students that could be used toward a variety of costs, like private school tuition, tutoring, transportation and more. The bill may reduce the state’s general revenue by an estimated $50 million in its initial years, according to a fiscal analysis of the program.” Missouri Independent May 6
Gov. Parson Office: (573) 751-3222
Email: https://governor.mo.gov/contact-us
~~~~~~
OTHER LEGISLATION
Regulations for Religious Boarding Schools We’re happy to report that Representative Keri Ingle’s bill regulating religious boarding schools passed the legislature with bi-partisan support and is headed to the governor’s office. The bill requires background checks for all employees, parental access to students, adherence to safety inspections, and other state oversight. After revelations by the Kansas City Star of decades of abuse and an investigation by the state Attorney General’s office led to numerous felony charges, Ingle worked with her colleagues to draft this important legislation. Thank you Representative Ingle!
SAVE THE DATE AND REGISTER FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS!
MISSOURI VOTER PROTECTION COALITION (MOVPC) MEETING
Mon May 17 at 10 AM
Join Missouri Voter Protection Coalition Zoom meeting with statewide advocates working to protect the right to vote in Missouri.
Text MOVPC to 66866 to sign up!
Stand Up KC Car Parade and Rally
Make McDonald’s Pay Up! - Give us $15 and a UNION!
Wed May 19 at 10:30 AM
St. Mark’s Hope and Peace Church
3800 Troost Ave
KC MO 64109
As McDonald's holds their annual shareholders meeting to celebrate making over $4 billion dollars in profits last year, join fast food workers in Kansas City and take action to remind them that WE, THE WORKERS, ARE THE ONES WHO MADE ALL OF THAT MONEY! We deserve our fair share! We deserve no less than $15 per hour and we need a union and benefits like health care and paid sick days! Make McDonald's Pay Up!
JOIN US between 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM at St. Mark's Hope and Peace Church at 3800 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64109 to decorate your car with signs, flags, and car magnets!
PLEASE SHARE THIS EVENT LINK: https://fb.me/e/269NuWdYI
COVID RESOURCES
Vaccine Eligibility - SIGN UP TODAY!
ALL Missourians age 16 and up are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Register here: https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator/
You can also call the COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 for registration assistance.
Missourians Vaccinated - as of Sun May 16 The New York Times
32% of Missourians are fully vaccinated
40% have received at least one dose.
Total COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Missouri
507,535 confirmed cases and 8,859 deaths as of Sat May 15 MO Dept of Health and Senior Services
608,952 total cases and 9,392 deaths as of Sun May 16 The New York Times
THANK YOU! for answering the Missouri Mondays CALL TO ACTION!
Invite your friends and neighbors to join us and sign up for Indivisible Missouri and this Missouri Mondays email at indivisiblemo.com/signup
