Senate Leaders Question Governor on  Reasoning For Withholds

“The reason for the recent withholds by the governor has nothing to do with the Legislature’s actions last night. The effects of the bills overridden won’t be felt for months if not years down the road. Missouri’s most overridden governor in history combined is using our veto session successes as a smokescreen to blur the real problem – the out-of-control growth in entitlement programs, especially Medicaid. Year after year, social services continue to see vast increases. The increase last fiscal year alone was at about 30 percent. Medicaid spending consumed every single dollar of GR growth for the year. This spending cannot continue if we want to strengthen our state’s job market with programs that actually grow the economy.”

Senate Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin
District 32

“Every year the governor withholds money and then comes to the Legislature in January asking for a supplemental to pay for the astronomical growth of Medicaid. The governor continues to maneuver the budget to fund unsustainable growth in Medicaid. Another issue that could be affecting the budget is not knowing the increased cost of the severed EngagePoint contract. The contract with this health care policy modernization consultant ended early and now is tied up in litigation. This is just another reason why the cost of Medicaid continues to grow and consume more and more of our state resources.”

Appropriations Chairman Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia
District 19

“Budgets are about priorities, and this governor has proven time and time again he cares more about entitlement programs, such as Medicaid, than programs that will help our schools, local transportation, and our state’s number one industry agriculture. Missouri’s economy is not growing. We are tired of lagging behind the rest of the nation. As legislators we have done our job of cutting red tape and cutting income taxes to help grow our economy, and we will continue to pursue policies to allow small businesses in Missouri to create more jobs for years to come.”

Majority Floor Leader Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City
District 6

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