Missourinet Sedalia affiliate KDRO Archives

Medicaid expansion not included in final Missouri House budget; heated floor debate involves scripture

April 1, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

After a heated floor debate that included numerous biblical references, the Missouri House voted Thursday afternoon to give final approval to a $34.1 billion state operating budget. The House budget does not contain funding for Medicaid expansion.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) and State Rep. Brad Hudson (R-Cape Fair) have a discussion on the Missouri House floor on April 1, 2021 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The operating budget now heads to the Missouri Senate, and Medicaid expansion supporters hope senators will include the funding. The state Constitution requires Missouri lawmakers to approve a balanced budget, by early May.

Medicaid is formally known as MO HealthNet, and it’s a federal and state program that assists with medical costs for residents with limited incomes. In August, 53 percent of Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion, although it failed in 105 of the state’s 114 counties. Rural House members from those districts led the opposition to Medicaid expansion this week.

Amendment Two supporters say the measure expands Medicaid for residents between the ages of 19 and 64 with an income level at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

House Republicans, led by House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) say Medicaid expansion would help able bodied adults, many who choose not to work. Smith has filed a bill to use the $1.9 billion to instead support seniors in nursing homes, to provide care for the developmentally disabled and to expand mental health programs.

State Rep. Doug Richey (R-Excelsior Springs), who serves on the House Budget Committee, supports Chairman Smith’s position. Richey says it’s important for state government to prioritize.

“What we are doing in this is we are prioritizing the most vulnerable among us,” Richey tells House colleagues.

State Rep. Michael Burton (D-Lakeshire) speaks about Medicaid expansion on the Missouri House floor on April 1, 2021 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The Missouri House Health and Mental Health Policy Committee’s top Democrat is criticizing House Republicans for approving a budget that doesn’t include Medicaid expansion. She voted against the budget bill.

“In 2010 I became an activist and supported President (Barack) Obama’s Affordable Care Act, because it was the right thing to do and thank God that I did. Because it saved my life,” State Rep. LaDonna Appelbaum (D-St. Louis County) tells colleagues.

Appelbaum also talked about her experience with chemotherapy.

Thursday’s debate included numerous references to the Bible, with lawmakers in both parties invoking Jesus’ name and quoting scripture. State Rep. Michael Burton (D-Lakeshire) asked Republicans what Jesus would do about people in need without health care, and State Rep. Trish Gunby (D-Manchester) notes her United Methodist Church believes health care is a right.

But State Rep. Ben Baker (R-Neosho), a minister and former dean of students at Neosho’s Ozark Bible Institute, quoted the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians on the floor.

“If you don’t work, you don’t eat,” Baker tells the House. He accuses House Democrats of hypocrisy, and State Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon) agreed. Schroer says Democrats quote the Roman Catholic Church and other religions, when it’s something they agree with.

State Rep. Keri Ingle (D-Lee’s Summit), quoted Matthew Chapter 25 in a Thursday tweet.

“Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.”

Governor Parson was asked about the House’s effort on Wednesday, during a live interview on Missourinet Sedalia affiliate KDRO (AM 1490).

“We’ll have to see how that goes in the Senate there. We did put the money in the budget for that,” Parson tells KDRO. “People did vote for it. Although I didn’t support it (Medicaid expansion) at the time but the reality of it is, the people of the state voted for it. I thought it was my obligation as governor to make sure we try to get it implemented. We’ll see though. The House voted against that … a little different maneuver I want to say, I guess. We’ll see what the Senate does and we’ll see how it comes out at the end of the day.”

Missouri lawmakers have left Jefferson City for their Easter break. They’ll return to the Capitol on Tuesday.

UPDATE: Missing rural Missouri absentee ballots located at St. Louis USPS facility

October 2, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The United States Postal Service (USPS) say the 1,200 missing absentee ballots from west-central Missouri’s Pettis County were found Thursday at USPS’ St. Louis processing and distribution center. The Post office says the missing ballots were immediately returned to Pettis County Clerk Nicholas La Strada’s office, and that the matter is under internal review.

Missourinet Sedalia affiliate KDRO (AM 1490) broke the story about the missing ballots on Wednesday, when La Strada joined morning show host Charlie Thomas for a live interview. La Strada says the 1,200 absentee ballots were delivered to the Sedalia Post Office on September 21.

His office worked until midnight Saturday to reprocess the 1,200 ballots, and those were delivered to the Sedalia post office on Tuesday morning.

“I’ve always had confidence in the post office, Charlie. I’ve been doing this business for ten years, and we’ve never had this issue. Are they going to find these ballots. I hope they do,” La Strada told KDRO on Wednesday.

During that interview, La Strada emphasized that his office will not disenfranchise the rights of Pettis County voters. He says if a voter receives a second ballot, his office and Missouri’s Centralized Voter Registration System will only allow them to receive the first ballot submitted. He said that if a second ballot is returned, it will be rejected.

Here is the full statement from USPS corporate communications St. Louis spokeswoman Kimberly Caldwell-Harvey:

“The ballots were located the morning of October 1 at our St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center and were immediately returned to the Pettis County Clerk’s office. This matter is currently under internal review. We will continue to work closely with the Pettis County Clerk and all Missouri boards of election to make sure each mail-in ballot reaches its intended destination. There is no higher priority for the Postal Service at this time than the secure, on-time delivery of the nation’s Election Mail.

Additionally, as of October 1, the Postal Service has authorized and instructed the use of additional resources nationwide, which include but are not limited to, expanded processing procedures, extra transportation, extra delivery and collection trips and overtime to ensure that Election Mail, including ballots, is delivered in a timely manner.”

Rural Missouri county clerk: 1,200 absentee ballots remain missing in the mail (AUDIO)

September 30, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The county clerk in west-central Missouri’s Pettis County says 1,200 absentee ballots that were delivered to the Sedalia Post Office on September 21 are still missing in the mail.

Clerk Nicholas La Strada tells our Sedalia affiliate KDRO (AM 1490) that his office was bombarded with phone calls from voters last week, asking where their absentee ballot was and if they had been mailed. He says his office staff worked until midnight Saturday to reprocess 1,200 ballots, and those were delivered to the post office on Tuesday.

“My staff worked almost to 12 o’clock restuffing these ballots, because we knew that they’re not going to find these ballots,” La Strada says. “I’m not bashing the post office, but the post office needs to find our ballots.”

La Strada emphasizes that his office will not disenfranchise the rights of Pettis County voters.

He also says that if a voter receives a second ballot, his office and Missouri’s Centralized Voter Registration System will only allow them to receive the first ballot submitted. La Strada says if a second ballot is returned, it will be rejected.

Missourinet contacted the Sedalia Post Office regarding La Strada’s comments, and we were referred to the United States Post Office’s corporate communications district in St. Louis. We have not received a response yet, and will update our story when we receive one.

La Strada is telling Pettis County residents that he will make sure their votes count in November. He joined veteran morning show host Charlie Thomas in-studio at KDRO. The radio station has also received numerous calls from listeners, asking where the ballot is.

“I’ve always had confidence in the Post Office, Charlie. I’ve been been doing this business for ten years, we’ve never had this issue. Are they going to find these ballots, I hope they do,” says La Strada.

He says once the ballots were delivered to the Sedalia Post Office, they are the liability of the federal agency.

The Missouri Secretary of State’s office tells Missourinet they’re not aware of this happening in any other county.

Click here to listen to the interview between KDRO’s Charlie Thomas and Pettis County Clerk Nicholas La Strada, which was live in-studio at Benne Media Sedalia on September 30, 2020: