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June
Keaveny Connection		 Contact: Stacy Morse
(573) 751-3599

Medicaid Expansion

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget

Detrimental Tax Cuts

Senator Keaveny's Legislation

Find Your Unclaimed Property

Texting Awareness

Annual Back-to-School Health Fair to be Held

Contact My Office
Medicaid Expansion
On May 6, a peaceful demonstration brought supporters of Medicaid expansion from across the state to the Capitol. They called on legislators to expand Medicaid. The demonstration from the Senate’s upper gallery involved chants and singing and lasted about 30 minutes.

This session, we were not able to expand Medicaid, as myself and many other legislators hoped.

Below are just a few of the reasons why I support Medicaid expansion in our state:

  • If Missouri expanded Medicaid it would cover about 300,000 Missourians making up to 138 percent of the poverty level, or $16,104 a year for an individual. The federal government would pay the full cost for two years, with the state’s share phasing up to 10 percent by 2020. Read more here.

  • Failing to expand Medicaid will cost the state $77 million in the next fiscal year, and is expected to rise to more than $140 million in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. Every year expansion is delayed, there is an immediate and direct cost to the state.

  • If approved by Missouri lawmakers, Medicaid eligibility would extend from the current 19 percent of the federal poverty level to 138 percent, reducing the state's uninsured by more than one-fourth, providing coverage for meanly 267,000 previously uninsured Missourians, and bringing an estimated $1.56 billion in new federal health care matching funds into the state's economy in 2014.

There are currently 152,335 Missourians enrolled in plans through the Affordable Care Act.

Despite not being able to expand Medicaid, there has been some good news in Medicaid developments and what it may be able to do for you and your family.

For coverage starting in 2015, open enrollment will begin Nov. 15, 2014, and ends Feb. 15, 2015.
You can apply for Medicaid or CHIP (children’s health insurance) any time of the year.

  • Visit covermissouri.org to learn more about the Missouri Marketplace.

  • You can also access the Marketplace by going to at www.healthcare.gov or by calling (800)318-2595.

The budget passed by the General Assembly appropriates $48 million in federal and state funds to reinstate dental care for about 300,000 low-income adults on Medicaid. This coverage will help many Missouri families receive the proper dental care they need to improve their health.
Fiscal Year 2015 Budget
Reference the graphic above to see how your tax dollars are slated to be distributed for Fiscal Year 2015, which starts July 1, 2014, and ends June 30, 2015.
Detrimental Tax Cuts

Senate Bill 509 was passed by the Legislature and vetoed by the governor on May 6.

Senate Bill 509 is the largest tax cut bill of the year and claims to reduce taxes for small business and certain families; however, the impact of those tax cuts will be felt by each Missourian, especially by our public school systems.

The legislation is not affordable and is a dangerous plan that would defund our schools and weaken the economy in our state. Instead of helping middle-class families get ahead, the money this bill would take from our classrooms and college campuses would go to line the pockets of wealthy individuals – not the average family.

According to the fiscal estimate, Senate Bill 509 would reduce state revenues by more than $620 million annually when fully implemented. The Missouri School Boards Association released a study that showed that Senate Bill 509 would reduce state support for K-12 school districts by $223 million annually.

While the fiscal impact of this legislation will not be felt for years, it is still a very real and viable threat to the hard work that has gone into balancing budgets and ensuring that public education does not suffer in favor of large, sweeping tax cuts.
Senator Keaveny's Legislation

Senate Bill 500 – This measure contains three trust provisions and is awaiting the governor’s signature. The bill that I worked on with The Missouri Bar’s Trust and Probate Committee includes provisions relating to:

  • Joint ownership with a right of survivorship into a qualified spousal trust;

  • When an irrevocable trust contains a no-contest clause, an
    interested person may still file a petition with a court for a ruling
    on whether a particular claim for relief would trigger forfeiture; and

  • A provision in a trust instrument requiring mediation or arbitration is
    enforceable.

Senate Bill 538, allows a school district to receive state funding for students between the ages of 3 and 5 who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. The bill received debate on the Senate floor and passed language in House Bill 1869.
The final version of the legislation, that awaits the governor’s signature:

  • Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to update local effort calculations based upon boundary changes;

  • Updates the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch pupil count to meet federal guidelines;

  • Allows DESE to prorate payments based upon appropriations and prohibits reductions to non-formula districts; and

  • Gives priority to unaccredited districts, then provisionally-rated districts.

House Bill 1231 – Gives authority to the Department of Senior Services to combine child support orders to ensure accurate payments.

House Bill 1376 – I sponsored the Senate bill and handled the House version of this legislation that would update the Uniform Commercial Code, which has already been signed by the governor.

Find Your Unclaimed Property
According to the Missouri Treasurer’s office, one in 10 Missourians have assets they need to claim. To search the Unclaimed Property Database, visit www.showmemoney.com

Each year state Treasurer Clint Zweifel receives the contents of more than 1,000 bank safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned or forgotten about. While the treasurer's office works hard to locate the rightful owners of the property, they cannot always do so.

In the 4th Senatorial District, which includes St. Louis City and County, there is more than $37,184,169.34 worth of unclaimed property.

 
Texting Awareness Program
Sen. Keaveny gets first-hand knowledge of how texting can affect a person's ability to drive.

Texting drivers are 23 percent more likely to have an accident. Teens who most commonly text and drive are also the most susceptible to having an accident while texting and driving.

A survey of adult commuters found:

  • 49 percent admit they text and drive;

  • 43 percent said they text habitually; and

  • 98 percent stated they knew about the dangers of texting
    while driving.

Documentaries and videos can be seen at www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/Root/Anti-textingstickerrelease.html.
Annual Back-to-School Health Fair to be Held
There will be health screenings, free school supplies and attendance prizes at the annual Back-to-School Health Fair.

Annual Back-to-School Health Fair
July 26
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The People’s Health Center
5701 Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63112

 
Contact My Office
My Capitol staff and I are happy to assist you.
Left to right: Caleb Cavarretta, intern for the
2014 legislative session; Wilma Rowden,
Administrative Assistant; Stacy Morse, Chief of
Staff; and Sen. Joseph Keaveny.

If you have any questions pertaining to our community and government, please contact my Capitol office. Thank you for
the privilege of serving you in the Missouri Senate.

Below is my contact information, should you wish to call, write or e-mail me. During interim (Mid-May through January) I spend most of my time in the district, but encourage you to reach out to my office as they will be able to get you in touch with me, or will share a message.

State Senator Joseph Keaveny
201 W. Capitol Ave., Rm. 428
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Phone: (573) 751-3599
Toll-Free: (866) 783-1534
FAX: (573) 751-0266

E-mail: Joe.Keaveny@senate.mo.gov
Web site: www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny