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Four Republicans seek to replace Senator Munzlinger in northern Missouri

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Four Republicans are running in Tuesday’s primary, hoping to replace veteran State Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown.

State Sen. Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown)

Senator Munzlinger, who chairs the powerful Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee, is in his 16th and final year in the Missouri Legislature, and is being forced out by term limits.

Munzlinger’s sprawling district covers 14 counties in northeast and north-central Missouri, stretching from Clark County on the Iowa/Illinois border all the way to Chariton County, which is west of Moberly.

Three state representatives and a businesswoman are seeking the GOP nomination on Tuesday.

The four candidates are State Reps. Lindell Shumake, R-Hannibal, Craig Redmon, R-Canton, Nate Walker, R-Kirksville and Shelbina businesswoman Cindy O’Laughlin.

The winner of Tuesday’s GOP primary will face Hannibal Democrat Crystal Stephens in November.

The last Democrat to represent this district was Clarence’s Wes Shoemyer. Republicans have held the northeast Missouri Senate seat since 2010, when Munzlinger unseated Shoemyer.

Redmon is in his eighth and final year in the Missouri House, due to term limits. He represents Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Schuyler and Scotland counties in the House.

Shumake is also in his eighth and final year in the House, because of term limits. Shumake’s district covers Marion, Monroe and Shelby counties.

Walker is finishing his third term in the House. He represents Adair, Mercer, Putnam and Sullivan counties.

O’Laughlin owns a northern Missouri concrete business. The “Quincy Herald-Whig” reports she’s also been a treasurer for the Missouri Club for Growth.

Munzlinger is currently the Senate Majority Caucus Whip, and has also served as a member of the State Fair Foundation.

Munzlinger told Missourinet in August that the 2017 State Fair was one of the best he’s seen in more than 40 years of traveling to Sedalia.

The polls will be open statewide on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Missourinet will have live election night coverage after the polls close.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Five ballot measures, three for medical marijuana, certified for November ballot

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Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certified five ballot measures Thursday that will not be part of Tuesday’s primary but will be on the November ballot.

Three of them would legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes while a fourth would hike the minimum wage and the fifth would change redistricting procedures for elections.

Two of the marijuana measures would change the state constitution to legalize medical marijuana and would establish procedures for licensing marijuana businesses.

One of those two would tax sales at 4%, raising $18 million a year which would go toward care for military veterans and to pay for the licensing and regulation of the businesses.  It’s estimated operating cost to the state is $7 million annually.

The other would carry a 15% tax on sales, generating $66 million with proceeds going toward research for cancer and other incurable diseases.  It would cost the state $500,000 a year in operating expenses.

A third medical marijuana measure would change the law to allow its use with certification by from a physician and allow for legal growth, possession, and production of pot.  It would tax retail sales at 2%, raising an estimated $10 million in revenue.  The money would be used for veterans’ services, drug treatment, early childhood education, and for public safety in cities with a medical marijuana facility.  The operational cost would be $10 million per year.

The minimum wage measure would raise minimum pay incrementally 85-cents every year until 2023 when it would top out at $12.00 per hour.  It would not apply to government workers.

After 2023, it would subject to cost of living adjustments and would have to be hiked to match any federal minimum wage increase beyond $12.00.  Any employer who failed to pay the minimum wage would have to reimburse employees twice the amount of wages initially left unpaid.

State estimators project the minimum wage measure could impact state and local tax revenue by an unknown amount ranging from a $2.9 million decrease to a $214 million increase depending on business decisions.

The ballot initiative to change the redistricting procedure includes several other components championed by the group Clean Missouri.

The state legislature would be replaced by a non-partisan “state demographer” who would determine voting districts which are modified every 10 years after the federal census.

Under the measure, the majority and minority leader of the state Senate would have to agree on who the demographer would be, otherwise, the leaders would submit candidates from which a lottery would be held to determine the demographer.

Clean Missouri claims the procedure guards against one party gerrymandering the redistricting process.  The legislature is currently dominated by Republicans by roughly a 3-1 ratio.

Other components of the ballot measure put forth by Clean Missouri set campaign finance rules for the state legislature.

For one, it prohibits lawmakers from becoming lobbyists for two years after they leave office.  It also bars state Senate and House office holders as well as legislative staff members from receiving lobbyist gifts in excess of $5.00.

It further forbids the general assembly from passing a law that would authorize unlimited campaign contributions and changes donation limits to candidates running for the state legislature.  In November 2016, voters overwhelmingly passed a measure limiting individual contributions to $2,600 to a candidate per election.

The measure going before voters this November from Clean Missouri further limits individual contributions to candidates or candidate committees to $2,500 for Senate seats and $2,000 for House seats.

Another one of the measure’s provisions requires legislative records to be open to the public.

The battle over this ballot measure is likely to be spirited and hard fought.  An organization opposing new Missouri emerged in late July.

The group is chaired by former Republican U.S. Senator Jim Talent who is being advised by Republican members of both Missouri houses.

They include Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard of Joplin and well as Senators’ Bob Onder of Lake St. Louis and Caleb Rowden of Columbia.  House Republicans advising Talent for Missourians First are incoming Speaker Elijah Haahr of Springfield, Shamed Dogan of Ballwin and Dean Plocher of St. Louis.

Talent accused Clean Missouri of trying to change the “non-partisan redistricting process in favor of one that requires gerrymandering.”

Clean Missouri bills itself as a bipartisan effort.  Its ballot measure is supported by the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP, Faith Voices of Southwest Missouri and the League of Women Voters of Missouri.

The effort has received backing from left-leaning groups, including Billionaire George Soros.  Soros’ Washington based lobbying firm donated $300,000 to a St. Louis based political committee in January.  That committee, MOVE Ballot Fund, then donated $250,000 to Clean Missouri three days later.  The move was criticized by Republican operatives at the time.

Clean Missouri also has the backing of a GOP coalition which includes former U.S. Senator John Danforth as well as state Senator Rob Schaaf on St. Joseph, State Representative Nick Marshall of Parkville, and former State Senators’ Bob Johnson of Lee’s Summit and Jim Lembke of Mehlville.

Missouri legislator cautions lawmakers about drafting duck boat regulations

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State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick says writing legislation intended to avoid future deaths on duck boat tours should wait. Fitzpatrick, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Shell Knob, tells Missourinet not enough facts have been issued yet to responsibly write legislation.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick speaks on the House floor on March 29, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

“I think that there’s plenty of opportunity to get it wrong,” he says.

Seventeen people died in a duck boat last month when it filled with water and went under during a thunderstorm on Table Rock Lake in Branson. Officials have said a full investigation could take at least one year.

“I was there for the recovery of the boat and I don’t even personally feel comfortable with saying right now exactly what we need to do to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Fitzpatrick says. “I think until we have significantly more information than we have right now, yeah I don’t think there should be any legislation passed until we know quite a bit more than what we know right not. Will that take a year? I don’t know. If it does, then maybe it does.”

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, says she’s drafting legislation that would require amphibious boats to be equipped to stay afloat during flooding and interim measures including the removal of canopies and increased inspections until the ducks are upgraded.

“We’ve had more than 40 deaths associated with duck boats since 1999, yet there has been little done to address the inherent dangers of these amphibious vehicles,” McCaskill says during floor debate. “The NTSB recommendations following the 1999 incident in Arkansas were pretty straightforward, but unfortunately nothing happened. So I’m in the early stages of drafting legislation, with input from NTSB and the Coast Guard, to require that the design issues with amphibious passenger vessels be addressed—and that boats that are not compliant be taken out of service until they can be compliant.”

McCaskill calls her recommendations reasonable and commonsense.

Congressman Bill Long, R-Missouri, has said Congress must do whatever is needed to prevent future duck boat tragedies.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri lawmakers plan September hearing on state Department of Agriculture funding concerns

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A Missouri legislative committee examining funding levels at the state Department of Agriculture (MDA) will hold a September hearing in Jefferson City.

State Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, speaks on the Missouri House floor on March 7, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The Joint Committee on Review of the Plant Industries Division has scheduled a September 11th hearing at 1 pm at the Statehouse in Jefferson City.

State Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, who co-chairs the joint committee, says that in 2010, Missouri lawmakers decided to fund the Plant Industries Division with fees.

Rone says fees are not adequate enough to fund that division, which operates Missouri’s pesticide control and produce safety programs.

Despite agriculture being the state’s top industry, the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s budget is about $39.5 million.

Missouri’s state operating budget is more than $28 billion.

Two key Democratic lawmakers, State Reps. Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia, and Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, have backed Representative Rone’s call for additional MDA funding.

Kendrick has said that the Division of Plant Industries “is way understaffed.”

Representative Lavender agrees, and has said that tax cuts pushed by Missouri Republicans are a reason for MDA’s funding issues.

The Joint Committee on Review of the Plant Industries Division has 12 members, seven Republicans and five Democrats.

State Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo, is the other co-chair.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri August primary voters to determine long running contentious labor issue

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Voters who cast ballots in the August 7th Missouri primary will have an opportunity to weigh in on a long-running contentious issue in the state.

A referendum known as Proposition A will determine if Missouri becomes a right to work state.  If voters pass the proposal, unions will be prohibited from collecting fees from non-union employees.

Currently, labor organizations sign individual contracts with workers at different businesses that can have varying arrangements.  Some workplaces require union membership as a condition of employment while others might only require non-union workers to pay “fair share fees”.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, union membership has been on an up and down, but overall steady decline over the past decade in Missouri.  As of 2017, 8.7% of wage and salary workers in the state were union members which amounts to 226,000 employees.

In addition, there were another 39,000 nonunion members who were covered by union contract negotiations for pay and benefits.

Supporters of the right to work ballot measure say it would give employees the freedom to choose whether to support labor union.  Those who oppose it claim it would hurt unions by allowing freeloaders to enjoy union benefits without paying dues.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision in late June effectively made Missouri a right to work state for public sector employees.  The high bench ruled that government workers who choose not to join a union cannot be charged for the cost of collective bargaining.

Right to work is a political issue

The right to work issue has been mostly, but not entirely, divided along party lines with Republicans joining with business interests to favor of it while Democrats tend to side with labor groups against it.  A few Republicans in the state legislature that have a strong union presence in their districts will vote in favor of labor priorities.

The road to the upcoming referendum has been years in the making.  Republicans have been trying to make Missouri a right to work state for over a decade.  But legislation the GOP majority passed was repeatedly vetoed by two-term Democratic Governor Jay Nixon.

The stars seemed to be aligned in 2017 when Republican Governor Eric Greitens took office.  The majority party fast-tracked a right to work bill through the general assembly and Greitens raced to sign it roughly a month after legislative session started.

But as Republican Senator Bob Dixon of Springfield later noted on the chamber floor, lawmakers had errored in their speedy work by giving labor groups too much time to respond.  Unions and their allies organized a massive effort to gather signatures to force a public vote on the law, meeting every deadline and surpassing numerous participation records along the way.

During the process, right to work proponents brought a lawsuit challenging the wording of the impending ballot measure.  The court suit ultimately failed, and the secretary of state set a public vote for November.

Then in the final days of this year’s legislative session, the Republican majority approved a resolution to move the ballot measure’s voting date from the November general election to the August 7th primary.  Governor Greitens signed off on the plan six days before he resigned from office on June 1st.

GOP Senator Dave Schatz, who sponsored the resolution said the earlier voting date was necessary to give closure to parties impacted by the right to work law.  University of Missouri Political Science Professor Peverill Squire questions the sincerity of Schatz’s reasoning.

“I think that’s a little disingenuous,” said Squire.  “I’m not sure any company is really chomping at the bit to make a decision about whether to locate in Missouri based on whether we have the right to work measures or not.  And certainly, between August and November is probably not going to make a lot of difference to most of those companies.”

Columbia College Political Scientist Terry Smith thinks the move to August robs Democrats of their most favorable lineup with right to work and party stalwart Senator Claire McCaskill on the same ballot.

“Democrats are going to be highly motivated to defeat this,” said Smith.  “And if it were on the November ballot, they would make sure that they got their people there to vote against right to work.  And also, ‘While your there, vote for Democrats.”

Squire believes Republicans moved the voting date in what he thinks will be a failed effort to suppress Democratic turnout for Senator McCaskill’s November contest.

“They’re calculating maybe some of those people won’t show up again in November and support Senator McCaskill,” Squire said.  “I think that’s probably their motivation.  There’s probably not a lot of evidence to suggest that it will make a huge difference.”

If the right to work law passes in August, the power of unions in Missouri could be permanently diminished.  If the ballot measure fails, right to work supporters will likely return with another legislative proposal quickly.  Only a constitutional ban on right to work would prevent it from being reintroduced.

Missouri’s August right-to-work ballot measure is a referendum, which is rare (AUDIO)

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For the first time in more than 36 years, Missourians will be casting ballots on what’s known as a referendum.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (left) and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (right) sign official resolutions following Parson’s swearing-in ceremony on June 1, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The right-to-work referendum will appear on your August 7th statewide ballot.

A referendum involves a bill approved by the Missouri Legislature, which in this case is a 2017 right-to-work bill.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) notes only two referendums have been approved in Missouri history.

“Commonly when bills, laws are put before the people and they have the opportunity to decide whether or not they’ll pass or fail, 24 out of 26 times they’ve failed,” Ashcroft says.

The last referendum happened in April 1982, regarding a law permitting large trucks on state highways.

Missourians rejected the big truck ballot proposal in the 1982 referendum, essentially overturning the Legislature’s decision.

Then-Governor Eric Greitens (R) signed a right-to-work bill in February 2017, but labor unions and their supporters were able to collect enough signatures to get the issue on the statewide ballot.

“And because they collected those signatures, the people of the state will decide whether it (right-to-work) goes into effect, not the Legislature and the governor,” says Ashcroft.

Former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens signs right-to-work legislation in Jefferson City on February 6, 2017 (Brian Hauswirth photo)

Ashcroft notes a referendum involves an issue referred to the people.

The August right-to-work referendum is on the 2017 bill approved by the Missouri Legislature.

Ashcroft tells Missourinet a “yes” vote supports the right-to-work bill, and a “no” vote opposes the bill.

This is only the fourth referendum in Missouri since 1969.

The Missouri Legislature approved separate bills calling for a higher state income tax and higher pensions for state employees in 1970.

Missourians rejected both bills in separate 1970 referendums.

The only two bills approved by Missourians in referendums involved prohibition enforcement in 1920 and a 1926 workmen’s compensation bill.

Right-to-work supporters like State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, say it would increase both union and non-union jobs in Missouri.

Opponents, including Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, say it would lower wages for workers and would reduce workers’ rights.

About 60% of Missourians rejected a right-to-work ballot measure in 1978.

 

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, which was recorded on July 23, 2018:

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

New Missouri law designed to let counties collect mobile fees for 911 services

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A law beginning in August is meant to let Missouri counties collect a fee from cell phone users for local 911 services. If approved by a state 911 oversight board and local voters, individual counties could collect a monthly fee of up to one dollar. They would have to present a plan to the board to show how the money would be spent. State Rep. Jeanie Lauer, R-Blue Springs, is the bill sponsor. She tells Missourinet landline users, mostly the elderly and businesses, are absorbing the fees for Missouri’s 911 services.

State Rep. Jeanie Lauer, R-Blue Springs, speaks on the Missouri House floor in April 2015 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

“We’re actually creating a greater level playing field for these fees to be charged to make it fairer across the board,” she says.

Under the policy, Lauer says landline and mobile phone users would pay the same county fee each month.

According to Lauer, about 80% of emergency calls come from cell phones.

“We need to really bump this up for our citizenry, for our tourists, but also for our first responders. We have evidence that there are times when they are put in harm’s way because of insufficient 911 services,” she says. “Sometimes it is a matter of if it doesn’t happen to you, we really don’t think about it. For those people who have experienced this, this is a major issue.”

Lauer points to the area around the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in southeast Missouri that do not have 911 service. During the summer, about 1.8 million people visit the region.

“These are populated areas that we might think of them as really rural and there’s hardly anybody there but that’s not the case,” she says.

Lauer says about 15 Missouri counties do not have a 911 system.

“The state, as a whole, does not have the level of 911 service that is as adequate as across the country. We are the last state in the union to have the funding associated with 911 as other states do,” she says. “There have been people who have not survived in the state because of not having adequate 911 service. It may be that there is a level of service, but it takes them too long to get there. The response time is so critical. That is just heartbreaking to me that we are sacrificing people’s lives for not having this level of service.”

She says the fee could be up to one dollar and cover things like emergency texting, upgrading phone systems, staffing, training and pinpointing where calls are coming from.

Lauer says not many Missouri counties allow emergency texting.

“Of course, that is critical if you are in let’s say a domestic violence situation, a hostage situation. Let’s say you can’t talk; you can’t breathe. We’ve had testimony from the Director of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission. Without the ability for them to text 911, they have to text someone to call 911 for them,” Lauer says.

The ability to locate where calls are coming from is also a major roadblock for first responders and response times.

“Some of the areas are not even mapped. It’s like they’re on a dirt road with a fork in the road. You can’t really locate that,” Lauer says. “We still are not at a point where exactly a person is at. Let’s say you’re in an apartment building in one of the cities. They (first responders) can ping the address. They will know what the cross streets are, but they will not know where you are at in the building.”

Additionally, Lauer says some sheriff’s office clerks might be answering 911 calls who are not properly trained to instruct callers on how to give CPR, for instance.

Lauer says the need for having 911 services and enhancing the system has struck.

“Now we’re seeing really the negative results of what is happening by not having it. I think the sense of urgency, the sense of reality of what is going on is hitting,” she says.

Lauer, who is serving her final year in the state House, has sponsored the bill for six years.

Governor Mike Parson, R, who signed the bill into law this month, praised Lauer for her multi-year effort.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri House Minority Leader Beatty to resign Sunday (AUDIO)

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The Missouri House Minority Leader will resign her seat in the Legislature, effective Sunday.

Missouri State Treasurer Eric Schmitt (left) speaks to House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty (right) on June 11, 2018 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Gail McCann Beatty, D-Kansas City, who’s in her eighth and final year in the House because of term limits, will start Monday as Jackson County’s Director of Assessment.

She says it’s bittersweet for her.

“I’m going to absolutely miss the Legislature but at the same time I think this goes back to appraising, which is what I did before I joined the Legislature,” Beatty says.

Jackson County Executive Frank White notes Beatty has been a certified appraiser for 25 years.

Beatty tells Missourinet while other children went to daycare, she followed her father around, helping him measure houses for inspections.

As Assessment Director, Beatty will be responsible for identifying, classifying and assessing all real and personal property in Jackson County.

Beatty says she’s most proud of becoming House Minority Leader at the Missouri Capitol.

“I’m the first African-American female to serve as Minority Leader in the House, and I think I was reasonably successful in getting some legislation passed,” says Beatty.

Beatty also has disappointments, saying she wanted to see more criminal justice reform pass.

She says the Legislature “didn’t have the appetite to do” that.

Beatty criticized Senate Republicans on the final day of the 2018 session in May, for not approving the ethics bill.

She also said in May that Republican lawmakers approved legislation in 2018 “aimed at rolling back long-held worker protections.”

Despite differences on policies like labor and taxes, Beatty has a good working relationship with House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff.

She has praised his open-door policy. They were both elected to the House in 2010.

Leader Beatty was one of the first lawmakers to call for Governor Eric Greitens’ (R) resignation this year.

She says the House’s handling of the Greitens case was bipartisan.

“It became an issue of what’s best for Missouri,” Beatty says. “And quite frankly in order to do the job appropriately, we had to let go that D and R behind our names.”

Beatty says her experience in the Legislature has been rewarding and that she’s made a lot of good friends, Democrats and Republicans.

She thanks everyone who has supported her.

Beatty also tells Missourinet she experienced a “rocky situation”, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer after being elected in November 2010.

She thanks former House Speaker Steve Tilley, R-Perryville, for his support during that time.

Beatty says everything is good now, with her health.

Beatty has also chaired the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, which aims to educate and assist Missouri’s urban youth.

State Rep. Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis, will be the House Minority Leader through the September veto session and through the November general election.

Mitten is currently the House Assistant Minority Leader.

After the November election, the Democratic caucus will meet in Jefferson City to elect new leadership for the 2019-2020 sessions.

 

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty, which was recorded on July 19, 2018:

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

New Missouri law intended to check insurance company’s controversial ER policy

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A new law set to take effect in Missouri is meant to counteract a controversial emergency room policy by insurance company Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Anthem launched its avoidable ER program in July 2017 to cut down on costly emergency room claims it contends are a driver of high premium prices.

Under the policy, the company denies claims when a consumer goes to an emergency room for an ailment Anthem considers not to be an emergency.  The insurer began enforcing the program in July 2017 in Missouri and Georgia, which resulted in a spike in claim denials.

Dave Dillon, the spokesperson for the Missouri Hospital Association, says some of Anthem’s denials have risen to the level of absurdity.

“We had seen people who had been hit by a car, or were in a car accident, were rejected,” said Dillon.   “We had an experience where people were sent from an urgent center that was immediately across the street from a hospital to the hospital and the claim was rejected.  These things were frankly, in light of the situation, ridiculous.”

Missouri’s Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill called for a full review of Anthem practice to deny emergency room coverage.  In December 2017 she wrote a letter to the company, saying it was forcing people to self-diagnose themselves and scaring them away from seeking medical care.

“Patients are not physicians,” said McCaskill.  “I am concerned that Anthem is requiring its patients to act as medical professionals when they are experiencing urgent medical events. Missouri state law and federal law protects patients from having to make these types of medical decisions… Anthem’s policies are discouraging individuals from receiving needed care and treatment out of fear they may personally be fully financially responsible for the cost of treatment, even though they have insurance.”

Republican State Senator Paul Wieland of Imperial sponsored the legislation that creates the new law.  He says it clarifies the state’s “prudent layperson standard”, which already requires health insurance companies to cover visits based on a patient’s symptoms, not just the final diagnosis.

“The bill adds eight words, and it just says, ‘regardless of the final diagnosis given’,” said Weiland.  “So, what this reinforces is that the coverage decision on whether or not the emergency claim will be covered has to do with looking at the front end and not the back end.”

Scott Golden is a spokesperson for Anthem in Missouri.  He says the company’s policy is meant to make health care more affordable by encouraging consumers to receive care in the most appropriate setting.

“Anthem’s avoidable ER program aims to reduce the trend in recent years of inappropriate use of ERs for non-emergencies as the costs of treating non-emergency ailments in the ER has an impact on the cost of healthcare for consumers, employers and the healthcare system as a whole,” said Golden.

A sampling of emergency room bills analyzed by the American College of Emergency Physicians showed that Anthem denied thousands of claims last year under the avoidable E.R. program.

The New York Times reported that emergency room physicians said the company did not routinely request medical records for denied patients, and therefore could not review the symptoms that brought them to the emergency room.  Anthem’s Golden says the company has procedures in place in Missouri that eliminate such oversights.

“If a consumer chooses to receive care for non-emergency ailments at the ER when a more appropriate setting is available, an Anthem medical director will review the claim information and medical records using the prudent layperson standard,” Golden said.  “In the event a member’s claim is denied, they have the right to appeal.”

The prudent layperson standard was made federal law in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act, and it was renewed in the Affordable Care Act. Golden says Anthem is abiding by the new Missouri law’s specific execution of the standard.

“Anthem’s avoidable ER program complies with the recently passed Missouri legislation (SB 982) and we will continue to make enhancements to effectively implement the program.”

Another provision of the new law requires that if an insurance company rejects a claim, it must have a board-certified emergency physician review the denial.

Dillon with the Missouri Hospital Association says the stipulation will ensure proper decisions are made.  “If for example the claim is rejected and the doctor for the insurance company is a podiatrist, and may not be an expert on emergency medicine, that could create some room for rejections that are outside of the scope of the expertise of the physician,” said Dillon.

He notes that the Missouri Hospital Association is joined in opposing Anthem’s avoidable ER program by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Missouri Medical Association, and the American Heart Association.

Former Governor Eric Greitens signed the new law on his last day in office June 1st.

Southwest Missouri lawmaker is new House Budget Committee vice-chair (AUDIO)

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A state representative from southwest Missouri’s Carthage is the new vice chairman of the House Budget Committee.

State Rep. Cody Smith (middle) at a February 2017 House Budget Committee hearing. State Rep. Crystal Quade (D-Springfield) is at left and State Rep. Phil Christofanelli (R-St. Peters) is at right. File photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at Missouri House Communications

State Rep. Cody Smith, R-Carthage, who’s finishing his first House term, says the Budget Committee is the most important committee in the House.

“It’s the one thing that we have to do, if we don’t move any other pieces of legislation, if the governor doesn’t sign any other bills, we absolutely have to pass a budget each year,” Smith says.

The Missouri Constitution requires lawmakers to approve a balanced budget by May, each year.

House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, appointed Smith to the post.

Smith replaces former State Rep. Justin Alferman, R-Hermann, who’s Governor Mike Parson’s legislative director.

Smith notes Missouri has a $28 billion state operating budget.

He tells Missourinet his short-term goal is to continue to immerse himself in the budget process, noting he’s spent lots of time in budget hearings and speaking to department personnel.

“My long-term goals would be to continue to try to find efficiencies within these programs, within these departments, and try to help impose fiscal discipline,” says Smith.

Smith is focused on working to ensure that Missouri funds priorities.

“We need to come up with a lot of money to maintain and fund our highways and bridges,” Smith says. “Education is always a big-ticket item, and also our Medicaid program is a large program. It takes up almost, well a little over a third of our budget in the state.”

Smith praises House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Shell Knob, for his open-door policy. He describes Fitzpatrick as a “wizard”, for his budget knowledge.

Smith also praises the committee’s ranking Democrat, State Rep. Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia. He says he and Kendrick communicate well and respect each other, even when they disagree on policy.

Smith says he couldn’t be happier with the makeup of the Budget Committee.

The Carthage lawmaker, who’s a realtor with a banking background, is seeking a second House term this fall. He faces Carl Junction Democrat Chad Fletcher in November.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Rep. Cody Smith, R-Carthage, which was recorded on July 12, 2018:

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