In a legislative session fraught with controversy the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) worked with legislators on a range of issues including payday loans, gambling, and taxes. Some of the more hotly debated issues included health care, funding for human cloning research and making English the language of state proceedings.

Health Care
Lawmakers approved a Medicaid overhaul that renames Medicaid MO HealthNet and makes modest restorations of Medicaid cuts enacted in 2005. Passage of SB 577 was in doubt until the early morning hours of the final day of the session. Sponsored by Sen. Charlie Shields (R-St. Joseph), the legislation restores health coverage to 4,000 disabled workers through the Ticket to Work program, which allows those with disabilities to work without fear of losing their Medicaid benefits. SB 577 also liberalizes the affordability test, which determines whether private insurance is affordable to a family, a change that will allow an additional 6,000 children to participate in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

The MCC sought additional restorations of Medicaid health coverage including promoting amendments that would have restored health coverage for working parents. Due to the 2005 cuts a mother of two children is only eligible for health coverage if her annual income is no more than 22% of the federal poverty level ($3,504) annually.

Abortion
Governor Matt Blunt is expected to sign an anti-abortion bill that makes permanent the state Alternatives to Abortion Program, prohibits abortion providers from providing sex education in public schools, and allows public schools to provide sex education programs that focus on abstinence. The MCC supported HB 1055, sponsored by Rep. Therese Sander (R-Moberly), throughout the process along with other pro-life groups.

Human Life Sciences
During the 2006 election campaign, proponents of Amendment 2 claimed to have no interest in obtaining taxpayer funds to subsidize their unethical experiments. But bills were filed and debated to publicly fund this research. SB 389, sponsored by Sen. Gary Nodler (R-Joplin), proposed selling a portion of the assets of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) in order to finance construction of life science research facilities at public universities that could conduct human cloning and other unethical research. Allegedly to placate pro-life concerns, the university life science buildings were dropped from the bill, but instead funding was diverted to the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), an entity headed by individuals who bankrolled and promoted Amendment 2. A number of pro-life lawmakers voted for the bill, claiming the bill did not explicitly authorize human cloning or embryonic stem cell experiments.

Lawmakers appropriated more than $30 million in funds to the MTC. Fifteen million dollars came from proceeds of the MOHELA sale, $15 million from the Tobacco Settlement Fund and $123,600 from the Department of Economic Development.

State Rep. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis County) and Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit) proposed constitutional amendments to ban human cloning in Missouri. If approved by the legislature, the measure would have been submitted to voters for their final approval. But lawmakers avoided debate on these issues, and the House Rules Committee, chaired by Rep. Shannon Cooper (R-Clinton), blocked further debate of the House measure. Preparations are now underway to take the question directly to voters through the initiative petition process.

Death Penalty
The legislature passed legislation that keeps secret the identity of those serving on death penalty execution teams.The MCC opposed HB 820, sponsored by Rep. Danie Moore (R-Fulton),arguing that if the state is to carry out executions, there should be public assurance that the execution is carried out in a competent, professional manner that respects the dignity of all involved. On a vote of 109-74 HB 820 passed the House of Representatives with numerous lawmakers voicing the concerns raised by the MCC. In the Senate, however, legislators opposed to the measure filibustered HB 820 until an agreement was reached to grant parole hearings to certain women incarcerated for killing their abusive partners. The deal was agreed to and HB 820 now awaits the signature of the governor.

Social Security Tax
The legislature also approved a tax deduction on Social Security benefits for seniors and disabled persons. HB 444, sponsored by Speaker of the House Rod Jetton (R-Marble Hill), is expected to result in the loss of up to $150 million dollars to the state when fully implemented. The MCC argued that the state revenue lost from this tax cut would be better spent restoring vital public services such as Medicaid health coverage.

School Choice
An amendment offered by Sen. Harry Kennedy (D-St. Louis City) would have offered grants to both public and private schools to beef up security and ensure the safety of all school children. The amendment drafted and championed by the MCC proposed creation of a Public Safety for All School Children Fund. The Senate adopted the amendment to HB 265, but then failed to give the bill final approval.

Minimum Wage
A bill to correct problems in the minimum wage law passed last year by voters stalled in the Missouri House when a House committee, not satisfied with confining itself to technical changes, sought to remove the inflation index that linked the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. The MCC opposed removing the inflation index, arguing the index helps the minimum wage to keep pace with the cost of living. The House handler of SB 255, Rep. Scott Muschany (R-St. Louis County), withdrew the bill from consideration on the House floor when it became clear that many lawmakers opposed repealing the inflation index.