Legislators vote not to reduce THEIR State Health Insurance

[usregimechange]

Jefferson City — State House members, who just last week voted to cut government health care for the poor, (also the elderly, blind and disabled) narrowly rejected a budget amendment Wednesday aimed at cutting their own health care program.

The 78-75 defeat, although it affected just $281,602 in a $19.1 billion proposed budget, provided a poignant moment in this year's legislative session — highlighting the passion and politics surrounding Gov. Matt Blunt's proposed cuts to Missouri's Medicaid program for the poor.

...

During Wednesday's budget debate, Rep. Trent Skaggs, D-Kansas City, offered an amendment that would have cut $281,602 from the $317 million health care plan for state employees. Skaggs said his intent was to cut 20 percent from the state's contribution to the health plans of legislators and statewide elected officials. The result would have been a roughly $115 monthly out-of-pocket increase for an individual elected official, he said.

"If we're going to ask other people to sacrifice, we should sacrifice first — I firmly believe that," said Skaggs, who does not participate in the state plan.

http://www.news-leader.com/today/20050414-Nohealthcarecut.html


House Amendment No. 4

AMEND House Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 5, Section 5.520, Page 23, Line 5, by deleting “$207,151,703" and inserting in lieu thereof “$206,870,101"; and

Further amend Section 5.530, Page 23, Line 5, by deleting “$317,571,456" and inserting in lieu thereof “$317,289,854"; and Further amend section and bill totals accordingly.

Representative Skaggs (D) moved that House Amendment No. 4 be adopted.

Which motion was defeated by the following vote:

YES: 75 (of which 63% were Democrats)

Aull (D)

Baker 25 (D)

Baker 123 (R)

Barnitz (D)

Bivins (R)

Bland (D)

Bowman (D)

Boykins (D)

Bringer (D)

Brooks (D)

Brown 30 (R)

Burnett (D)

Byrd (R)

Casey (D)

Chinn (R)

Chappelle-Nadal (D)

Corcoran (D)

Curls (D)

Darrough (D)

Dethrow (R)

Donnelly (D)

El-Amin (D)

Emery (R)

Ervin (R)

Faith (R)

Flook (R)

George (D)

Harris 23 (D)

Harris 110 (D)

Haywood (D)

Henke (D)

Hoskins (D)

Hughes (D)

Jackson (R)

Johnson 61 (D)

Johnson 90 (R)

Jolly (D)

Kratky (D)

Kraus (R)

Kuessner (D)

Lampe (D)

LeVota (D)

Liese (D)

Low 39 (D)

Lowe 44 (D)

Meadows (D)

Meiners (D)

Nance (R)

Nolte (R)

Oxford (D)

Page (D)

Robinson (D)

Roorda (D)

Rucker (D)

Salva (D)

Schoemehl (D)

Selby (D)

Self (R)

Shoemyer (D)

Skaggs (D)

Spreng (D)

St. Onge (R)

Storch (D)

Swinger (D)

Threlkeld (R)

Wagner (D)

Walsh (D)

Walton (D)

Wildberger (D)

Wilson 119 (R)

Wilson 130 (R)

Witte (D)

Wright-Jones (D)

Young (D)

Zweifel (D)



NO: 78 (of which 94% were Republicans)

Avery (R)

Bearden (R)

Behnen (R)

Black (R)

Bruns (R)

Cooper 120 (R)

Cooper 155 (R)

Cooper 158 (R)

Cunningham 145 (R)

Cunningham 86 (R)

Daus (D)

Davis (R)

Day (R)

Deeken (R)

Dempsey (R)

Denison (R)

Dixon (R)

Dougherty (D)

Dusenberg (R)

Fisher (R)

Franz (R)

Goodman (R)

Guest (R)

Hobbs (R)

Hubbard (D)

Hunter (R)

Icet (R)

Johnson 47 (R)

Jones (R)

Kelly (R)

Kingery (R)

Lager (R)

Lembke (R)

Lipke (R)

Loehner (R)

May (R)

McGhee (R)

Moore (R)

Munzlinger (R)

Muschany (R)

Myers (R)

Nieves (R)

Parson (R)

Pearce (R)

Phillips (R)

Pollock (R)

Portwood (R)

Pratt (R)

Quinn (R)

Richard (R)

Roark (R)

Robb (R)

Ruestman (R)

Rupp (R)

Sander (R)

Sater (R)

Schaaf (R)

Schad (R)

Schlottach (R)

Schneider (R)

Smith 14 (R)

Smith 118 (R)

Stefanick (R)

Stevenson (R)

Sutherland (R)

Tilley (R)

Viebrock (R)

Villa (D)

Wallace (R)

Wasson (R)

Wells (R)

Weter (R)

Whorton (D)

Wood (R)

Wright 137 (R)

Wright 159 (R)

Yates (R)

Mr Speaker (R)



PRESENT: 005

Brown 50 (D)

Fares (R)

Fraser (D)

Vogt (D)

Yaeger (D)



ABSENT WITH LEAVE: 004

Bean (R)

Marsh (R)

Parker (R)

Rector (R)



VACANCIES: 001

HCS HB 5, as amended, was laid over.


http://www.house.mo.gov/bills051/jrn/jrn054.htm

[Desert Liberal]

1. Of course.

That was my first thought when I read the story. What really pissed me off though was the 5 Dems who crossed over to vote with the Republicans. If not for those five, the amendment would have passed.
I'm sure every one of them can afford an extra bit on their insurance wayyyy better than I can afford to be without it. Share the pain, indeed.
I wonder if they even thought about the taxes I pay that fund their handy health care plan.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. So what do we know about these Dems

who voted against this ? Where are they from?

Daus (D)

Dougherty (D)

Hubbard (D)

Villa (D)

[quiet_please]

3. You missed Whorton

and I know Jim is represents the north central part of Missouri. I don't get why he crossed over, but I have a feeling, just from visiting with him, that he supports more of the right side than our side. He has won very consistently up here every time he has ran, and this place is just overrun with Repubs.

[loyalsister]

4. Hubbard

is from St. Louis. He has sponsored some very good legislation. Moratorium on the death penalty, and a number of bills related to health care. He was being consistent. He believes that everyone should have access to insurance.

For example:

HB934
Allows young adults to participate in the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan.

http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills051/bills/HB934.htm

[Missouri Leadership]

5. Names and Phone Numbers of Missouri Hypocrites who Hound Healthcare

Missouri Hypocrites Hound Healthcare

After voting to take health care away from tens of thousands of Missouri's most vulnerable citizens -- including 24,000 children -- the State House of Representatives voted this week to KEEP their own taxpayer-provided health care coverage .

That's right --- apparently all of those "tough choices" that we've been hearing about only applies to the poor, the disabled, and the elderly of Missouri. It doesn't apply to our elected officials in Jefferson City.

The bill in question - which would have asked elected officials to pay an additional $115 out of pocket for their health care coverage - was defeated by a vote of 78-75. Of the 78 legislators who voted AGAINST the bill, 70 had previously voted to take health care away from tens of thousands of children, parents, senior citizens, and disabled Missourians.

Names and Phone Numbers of Missouri Hypocrites who Hound Healthcare

[Missouri Leadership]

6. Dead Link

Names and Phone Numbers of Missouri Hypocrits who Hound Healthcare can be found at: http://www.missourileadership.com/RecievedReleases/050415_MOHypoHoundHlthcare.htm

[cornermouse]

7. Rank hypocrisy on this issue today

On ksmu.org, Missy Shelton aired a segment of a republican legislator who got very ugly when a democrat tried to push a bill that would force our legislators to get their own health care like the rest of us...