CARES Act funding Archives

Missouri congresswoman: St. Louis County has not distributed $100 million in CARES Act funding

September 13, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri congresswoman who represents St. Louis County on Capitol Hill is calling on county officials to distribute millions of dollars in CARES Act funding.

During a Thursday hearing before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, told colleagues that the CARES Act was signed into law in late March and that St. Louis County received $173 million.

U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner visits Jefferson City on February 25, 2020 (file photo from Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth)

“Four months later, there is still over $100 million unspent federal financial aid, that desperately needs to be distributed,” Wagner says.

Congresswoman Wagner says that includes $47 million for local municipalities, adding that public safety is at risk without these funds.

“Funds are needed to prevent law enforcement layoffs, pay public safety officials and help pay for medical care, housing and other essential services for American communities and families,” says Wagner.

She says she’s spoken to Democratic St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page to express her concerns, and has “had enough.” Wagner voted for the CARES Act in March, and says the dollars are critical to support health and public safety.

Missourinet reached out to County Executive Page’s office for a response and we haven’t heard back yet. However, Page’s spokesman, Doug Moore, tells the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” that an announcement will be made soon.

“We are on track to distribute funds to support our municipalities in compliance with federal regulations and based on need. We’ll be making an announcement soon. Although frustrating to many, we must follow federal guidelines for distribution of these funds. To do otherwise we risk having to return the funds,” Moore told the newspaper.

Wagner chairs the House Suburban Caucus. While the bulk of her district is in St. Louis County, the district also includes parts of St. Charles and Jefferson counties.

Bipartisan group of Missouri election officials say more funding is needed for November (AUDIO)

September 4, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri county clerks in both parties say they need additional funding to protect voters and poll workers during the November general election.

Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon is a Columbia Democrat (photo courtesy of the Boone County Clerk’s website)

Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon, a Columbia Democrat, notes November will be a high turnout election during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says county clerks have had unexpected costs.

“Having to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and make modifications to our polling places so that voters can have a safe experience,” Lennon says.

Lennon says funding is also needed to inform the public about changes made to election procedures this November.

The Missouri Legislature made the changes in May, for the August primary and November general election. Absentee voting without notarization is allowed for Missourians 65 and older, or those vulnerable to COVID. All others can vote by mail if they choose, but need notarization.

“Making sure that voters understand the process, and making sure that they have all the knowledge that they need to make an informed decision about the option that they want to choose in order to vote,” says Lennon.

Lennon says making sure Missouri has good and accessible elections with integrity is critical.

A national organization called the Brennan Center says CARES Act funding provided to Missouri isn’t enough to safely administer November elections. They want Congress to approve more funding.

As for Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R), he notes that since early May, he’s distributed $4.5 million to local election authorities, to prepare for the recent August primary and the upcoming November general election. His office has also recently shipped 4,900 additional face masks to county clerks.

Ashcroft visited all 116 Missouri election jurisdictions this summer, delivering 17,000 face masks, 17,000 face shields, 500 gallons of sanitizer and other supplies. Brennon says while clerks are grateful for the funding from the secretary of state’s office, they need more money for November.

“We have plexiglass shields that we have at each of our polling locations and we had to account for our larger number of polling places that we’re going to have for November,” Lennon says.

Lennon and GOP Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, a former Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem, are among the clerks in both parties calling on Congress to approve additional funding to ensure safe elections in 2020.

Schoeller recently co-authored an op-ed in “Politico”, saying more than $50,000 is needed in Greene County, just to recruit additional election judges and compensate all election judges with hazard pay.

Election day is Tuesday November 3.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon, which was recorded on September 3, 2020: