This week the MCC sent a letter to all members of the Missouri General Assembly addressing concerns with economic development bills under consideration in the closing days of this year’s session. The MCC urged legislators not to open the door to subsidizing unethical research, such as experiments that destroy human life at the earliest stage [...]
HB 400, a bill that would ban telemedicine abortions in Missouri, will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. If the bill is voted out, it could pass the Senate and get to the Governor for his consideration this session. HB 400 would, in its practical effect, ban web-cam abortions. The bill has [...]
This week the Missouri Senate made it official – Missouri will not be expanding its Medicaid program this year. The body defeated an amendment offered by Senator Jolie Justus that would have allowed the state of Missouri to draw down $890,474,624 in federal funds for the Medicaid expansion. Click here for the Senate vote. If [...]
The Missouri House this week passed legislation (SB 26) that would lower income tax rates for individuals and corporations while increasing the state sales tax. According to House legislative staffers, the House-passed bill would cost the state about $438 million annually when fully implemented in 2019. The Missouri Budget Project, an organization that advocates for [...]
Just one week after the House of Representatives overwhelming defeated an amendment to allow ex-drug offenders to receive food stamps, a House committee heard and passed a bill to allow these benefits to former felony drug offenders.The bill, HB 838 sponsored by Representative Paul Wieland (R-Imperial) was voted 7-2 “do pass” by the Children, Families [...]
The Missouri House of Representatives has given final approval to a bill that would ban telemedicine abortions from being performed in Missouri. HB 400, sponsored by Representative Jeannie Riddle (R-Mokane), would require a physician to be present when a patient is administered RU-486, the abortion drug used to end a pregnancy up to nine weeks [...]
This week the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a House bill that provides conscience protections for healthcare providers. HB 457, sponsored by House Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka), would allow healthcare workers to opt out of performing abortion, sterilization, contraception and assisted reproduction procedures, as well as allow medical researchers to opt out of engaging in research [...]
Around 1500 people came to the Capitol Tuesday to urge legislators to expand Medicaid, but the issue is dead for the session declared the House sponsor of HCS HB 700. State Representative Jay Barnes (R-Jefferson City) has tried for months to convince his colleagues in both the House and Senate that Medicaid could be reformed [...]
Missouri is only one of nine states that still denies food stamp benefits to former drug offenders. All other ex-felons are eligible for food stamps in Missouri. The MCC has urged legislators to treat the ex-drug offenders in the same manner as other ex-offenders, pointing out that allowing these offenders to recieve food stamps can [...]
The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) this week testified in support of HB 736, a bill that would allow K-12 public and private school parents to claim a tax deduction for their children’s schooling expenses. Mike Hoey, the MCC’s executive director, urged the House Ways and Means Committee to get serious about helping school parents, noting [...]