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Health & Fitness

Interim Update: Demanding Accountability

Although the legislative session ended in May, the pace of committee work has made this a very eventful and productive summer. I am serving on three interim committees tasked with investigating issues of importance to Missourians and developing legislative recommendations for next session.

Missourians deserve an open and transparent government that meets their needs effectively and efficiently, and it is the legislature’s responsibility to hold executive departments accountable for their actions and spending. To that end, the House has created the Improving Government Responsiveness and Efficiency Interim Committee, which I chair.

When departments testify before the committee, I request measurable outcomes to evaluate how well they are managing their programs and how successfully these initiatives are fulfilling their purposes. Departments have no right to request additional funds during the appropriations process if they cannot prove that they are using their current budgets effectively.  As we hold future hearings, I will continue asking departments to demonstrate that they are spending money wisely and in ways that truly benefit Missourians.

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I also chair of the Joint Interim Committee on St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area Governance and Taxation. This committee is preparing to commission an independent study to give lawmakers an unbiased perspective on taxation and governance issues in the region, including the sales tax pool, tax increment financing, and the St. Louis Boundary Commission.

The Interim Committee on Medicaid Transformation, which will discuss possible reforms to Missouri’s Medicaid system, started its hearings in September. Medicaid coverage has to provide meaningful care to its recipients, but our current system underserves patients, uses taxpayer money inefficiently, and is beleaguered by fraud and waste. Since the current Medicaid system is failing on so many fronts, I cannot support adding more Missourians to it. Transforming Medicaid into a more efficient and high-quality program will be my chief goal as a member of this committee.

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One of the most unfortunate happenings this summer was Governor Nixon’s decision to withhold $400 million that the legislature had appropriated for education, mental health services, and other vital state programs. Thankfully, he recently chose to release these funds so they could be used to serve Missourians.

When I am not in Jefferson City for committee hearings, interim is a valuable opportunity to spend more time in our community and learn about the issues that matter most to the people I serve.  I have greatly enjoyed getting to know more and more constituents in the newly formed 100th district. Over the next couple months, I will visit the elementary schools in our district to discuss state government and anti-bullying legislation with the fourth grade classes.

I am looking forward to a very busy fall as we wrap up interim committee hearings and an ever busier January when session begins.
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