Website | E-Mail Me | Biography | Newsroom | Subscribe | Unsubscribe May Keaveny Connection Contact: Stacy Morse — (573) 751-3599 Legislative Update for 2013 Session FY 2014 Budget Update Early Education Bill Receives Senate Debate Addressing Medicaid Expansion in Missouri Encourage Teens to Adopt Safe Driving Practices Community Announcements Legislative Update for 2013 Session The Missouri Senate chamber features various murals — click here for information about Capitol tours. The 2013 legislative session is set to conclude on Friday, May 17. Until that time, the Missouri Senate is debating numerous bills and sending those measures to the governor for his signature. Provisions of several measures I've sponsored throughout the 2013 legislative session have been amended to bills that are on their way to the governor: Senate Bill 86, which would assist in the long-term sustainability and security of Missouri’s public pension plans, has been passed in HB 233. Senate Bill 99, which would make the position of City of St. Louis Public Administrator appointed by a majority of the circuit judges and associate circuit judges of the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, has been passed in HB 163. Senate Bill 100, which would add health savings plans and inherited retirement accounts to the list of exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings, was passed in HB 329. Another of my bills moving closer to the legislative finish line include SB 69 (voted "do pass" in committee and is up for debate on the House floor), which would allow administrative hearing officers from the Department of Social Services to set aside or correct certain errors in child support orders. In addition, language from my sponsored SB 379, which addresses the Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit, was adopted into HB 698 and is in a conference committee. To follow these bills as they make their way through the Legislature, visit the Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov. Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Update According to the Missouri Budget Project, SB 26 would reduce state revenue by $985 million per year when fully phased in and would hinder funding efforts for K-12 education and higher education. Missouri's FY 2014 Operating Budget Due on May 10 On April 22, the Missouri Senate gave its approval to the 13 budget bills (HBs 1-13) that make up the state's nearly $25 billion operating budget for FY 2014, which will last from July 1 to June 30, 2014. The 13 House bills have been assigned conference committees to iron out differences between the Senate and House budget plans; the constitutional deadline to have the budget to the governor is Friday, May 10. There are numerous aspects of the budget with which I am not pleased. Among other provisions, the Senate budget plan would slash funding for a statewide recycling grant program. As noted by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the program in question is funded by a fee trash haulers pay when they dispose of solid waste in landfills or take it to transfer stations where it is consolidated for shipment to a landfill. Money from the fee is distributed to 20 regional solid waste districts around Missouri, and district officials provide grants to businesses and groups to encourage Missourians to recycle and increase options for citizens to recycle. You can read the Post-Dispatch article here. Measure to Increase Taxes on Hard-Working Missourians May Soon Receive Senate Debate The Missouri Senate may soon take up SB 26, which would increase the state sales tax while decreasing income tax rates and business taxes over a five-year period. Sales tax is a regressive tax that affects nearly everything you purchase in Missouri. Under this proposal, essentials such as school supplies and clothing would be more expensive. This is a disservice to low-income Missourians who are already struggling to pay their bills. I do not support this legislation and will continue to advocate for our state's most vulnerable citizens. Please click here to read a letter from the Missouri Budget Project regarding SB 26. Missouri Senate Considers Bill to Expand Early Education Programs Without quality early childhood intervention, at-risk children are 25 percent more likely to drop out of school, 40 percent more likely to become a teen parent, and 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime. The Missouri Senate's most important goal is job creation and economic development, yet not enough attention is focused on the people who will one day make up our workforce. We need to make early education programs a top priority, because the skills that our children learn at an early age will help them grow to be successful adults, productive employees, and good job creators. In the absence of quality early childhood programs, colleges and businesses have to take on remedial training with students and employees — this is a poor waste of time and resources, as individuals should have already learned basic reading and writing skills. My sponsored legislation, SB 133, would allow a school district that operates an early childhood education program to receive state funding through Missouri’s foundation formula for students between the ages of 3 and 5 who are eligible for free and reduced lunch. The bill received debate in the Missouri Senate in late April. The foundation formula is grossly underfunded, yet the majority party continues to cut revenue and ignore the issues. The chart below highlights that Missouri children (particularly in St. Louis County) are not attending preschool. Recently, America's Edge released a report titled "Strengthening Missouri Businesses Through Investments in Early Care and Education." According to the report, for every $1 invested in early care and education in Missouri, a total of $1.87 is generated in additional spending in the state. This is a better return than what is seen from other industries, such as transportation ($1.77), construction ($1.75), retail trade ($1.74), wholesale trade ($1.68), and manufacturing ($1.44). Under the Senate budget proposal for FY 2014, funding to help day care centers reach accreditation has been reduced to zero. The best tool we have to invest in our state's economic future is early education. Last year, early childhood education took a major hit under the budget and the Senate Appropriations Committee again disregarded research supporting the benefits of early education programs. Click here to read an article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about funding issues for early education programs. I would like to thank all the business leaders and early education advocates who have worked tirelessly on this issue. We've made a clear message that increasing Missouri’s pre-kindergarten funding would give businesses an incentive to relocate to an educated state with a positive climate for jobs.   Missouri St. Louis County Total child population 1,423,647 235,561 Total 3- and 4-year-olds 158,665 24,137 3- and 4-year-olds not enrolled in pre-K (%) 55.20% 40.30% 3- and 4-year-olds not enrolled in pre-K (#) 87,583 9,727 Data Source: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 - 2011 American Community Survey.     Missourians Show Support for Medicaid Expansion at Capitol Rally An estimated 1,200 people packed three floors of the Capitol Rotunda to advocate for health care for 300,000 uninsured citizens.  Hundreds of Missourians descended on the Capitol on April 16 to urge Missouri lawmakers to expand Medicaid under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  The governor, who has made the expansion of Medicaid his top legislative priority for the 2013 session, urged the crowd to continue to pressure lawmakers to take up Medicaid expansion in the final weeks of session. Despite the massive showing in support of Medicaid expansion, leaders in the majority party of both chambers say the issue will not be considered this session. Neither the Senate nor House version of the FY 2014 budget plan provided funding for Medicaid expansion, which is unjust to countless citizens throughout Missouri without insurance. My colleagues and I attempted to expand Medicaid eligibility to include approximately 260,000 lower-income adults; however, the attempt failed in the upper chamber. Those who would have seen the benefits of Medicaid expansion include Missourians who are pregnant or have disabilities. Federal funds for Missouri's Medicaid expansion will simply go to other states. I'm very disappointed that some of my colleagues don't see the importance of how thousands of Missourians need health care, and that Medicaid expansion has the potential to generate $856 million in state and local taxes from 2014-2020 — more than enough to pay Missouri’s share of the cost of expansion. Medicaid expansion is also estimated to create thousands of jobs in the health care sector for Missourians. I will continue to advocate for access to health care for all Missouri citizens, especially for the working poor in our state. Encourage Teenagers to Adopt Safe Driving Practices Compared with other age groups, teenagers have the lowest rate of seat belt use — 34 percent of Missouri teens don’t buckle up. Now that May is here and summer break will begin in a matter of weeks for Missouri students, fun events such as prom and graduation are now upon us. These are happy and memorable events in our kids' lives; however, we should encourage our kids to practice good safety habits while participating in festivities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Teens are at particularly high risk for motor vehicle crashes due to the fact that these young people are not as experienced of drivers and are more likely to speed, use poor judgment (underage drinking), and may not be able to recognize hazardous situations on the road. The Missouri Department of Transportation notes that 34 percent of Missouri teens don't buckle up, and that one in four Missouri traffic crashes involves a young driver. Between 2010 and 2012, more than 240 teens were killed in traffic crashes, and of those killed, 78 percent were not using a seat belt. Please take some time to discuss driving safety with your teenagers and share with them the importance of wearing your seat belt. For resources, please visit the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety website at www.savemolives.com. Community Announcements Free Health and Back-to-School Fair this Summer This summer, I will host my annual health fair offering free services to the people of St. Louis. The health fair will be on Saturday, July 20, at the Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers (PHC). Please visit the PHC website at www.phcenter.org to learn more about its services. Community Services Directory for District 4 Available Online If you visit my Missouri Senate website (www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny) and check out the "Constituent Services" tab, you will find a link to a community services directory available to my constituents. This document is updated throughout the year to include the most pertinent information to our district. I hope this directory can be of assistance to you and help you find the appropriate organization or service you need. CAASTLC Offers Free Weatherization Assistance Program The Community Action Agency of St. Louis County Inc. (CAASTLC) offers free weatherization services for the people of St. Louis, which help to reduce energy costs for income-eligible families by improving the energy efficiency of their homes, while ensuring better health and safety. CAASTLC uses advanced technologies, certified auditors, and qualified contractors to help reduce energy loads and save money, at no cost to the client. Visit the website at www.caastlc.org.