MCC Prepares for the 2008 Legislative Session

January 7, 2008, JEFFERSON CITY, MO – As the 2008 legislative session of the Missouri General Assembly convenes on January 9, 2008, the Missouri Catholic Conference is working with lawmakers and officials from both political parties on issues that will further the common good and uphold the sanctity and dignity of human life.

Health care will again be a hot topic. Governor Matt Blunt’s new initiative called Missouri Insure includes an idea previously advanced by the MCC to disregard some of the income earned by the working poor so that they can qualify for health care benefits. The governor’s proposal would allow working parents with income up to 100% of the federal poverty level to qualify for health coverage. This increased coverage will require additional appropriations by the legislature, which the MCC will be supporting.

The governor’s initiative comes in the wake of the loss of health coverage by over 100,000 people due to Medicaid cuts in the 2005 session of the General Assembly.  Due to those cuts, a family of three can earn no more than $3,622 per year to receive health coverage. These cuts were very divisive in the General Assembly and public opinion polls indicate that the cuts are very unpopular with the majority of Missourians.

Efforts to fund human cloning and unethical life science experiments are expected to come up again this session. Last year, Governor Matt Blunt and legislative leaders originally proposed funding facilities that could be used to conduct unethical human experimentation. Deacon Larry Weber, Executive Director of the Missouri Catholic Conference said, “We expect to keep a close eye on the proposed state budget again this year. We saw during the 2007 session that proponents of Amendment 2 who claimed to have no interest in taxpayer funding to subsidize their unethical research turned out to be false. This is an issue that will require continuous oversight and due diligence.”

Immigration related legislation is expected to be a top priority this session. Although Missouri has a small number of immigrants lacking legal status, many bills have been filed to penalize so called “illegal aliens” or businesses that employ them. The Catholic Church teaches that national boundaries may be enforced but insists that enforcement of national boundaries gives way to the basic human right of people to migrate when faced with circumstances such as persecution, drought, famine or pervasive poverty. The MCC is suggesting to state lawmakers that immigration concerns are the responsibility of the federal government and that comprehensive reform of federal immigration laws must be accomplished. According to the MCC premature action by states and localities can have unintended negative consequences.

Gambling in Missouri has come a long way since gambling corporations advertised idyllic riverboats plying the waterways of Missouri with ladies and gentlemen wagering on games of skill on the decks. Gambling proponents are again expected to push for the repeal of the $500 loss limit. The limit restricts an individual to losses of $500 for each two hours of gambling. The MCC has supported the loss limit as a means to protect the savings of families when a family member has a gambling addiction. In recent weeks critics of the loss limit have claimed that business are hurt when high-rollers avoid Missouri’s casinos due to the loss limit. In addition to seeking repeal of the loss limit in the legislature, the gambling industry has also filed paperwork with the Missouri secretary of state seeking a statewide referendum to repeal the loss limit.

Another issue of concern for the MCC is legislation proposed that would allow the death sentence for individuals convicted of raping children. Some opponents have pointed out that this proposal may not protect children because it increases the possibility that the perpetrator will kill the child in order to shield their identity. Rather than expanding capital punishment the MCC supports legislation that would establish a moratorium on executions while a study commission examines the death penalty system. Currently executions are on hold in the nation as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to examine a Kentucky case that challenges the constitutionality of lethal injection.

Deacon Weber said that the MCC looks forward to working with the legislators and Governor Blunt in addressing the needs of all Missourians and promoting the common good. “We hope that Missouri’s General Assembly is able to address the very real issues confronted by the people of this state and isn’t distracted by election year politics.”