What's Happening Report
May 11, 2020
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Hello!
Happy Mother's Day! I hope you had a good day and enjoyed the sunshine.
I spent a bulk of my day yesterday preparing for debate on SJR 38, which puts gerrymandering in the Missouri Constitution. In 2018, Missouri voters supported Clean Missouri by 62% statewide (72% in the 91st District). One thing this provision did was to appoint a state demographer to draw district lines in the annual redistricting process. SJR 38 not only does away with this provision of Clean Missouri, but it also apportions districts based on citizenship, which I believe violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution.
If SJR 38 passes, you will have a chance to vote on it on the November ballot.
The main thing the Legislature did last week was the budget. We passed the budget for Fiscal Year 2021. Statewide revenues are down significantly from this time last year, and we do not know what the coming months will bring, so we will probably be called back into session over the summer to change what we passed.
Another thing that happened last week was that a House committee requested information from the Department of Health and Senior Services about the medical marijuana rollout. Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana for medical use in 2018 and putting the state Department of Health and Senior Services in charge of regulating the developing industry. The department has faced significant criticism for how it awarded a limited number of licenses for cultivating, manufacturing and dispensing medical marijuana, including allegations that the process was rigged in favor of politically connected applicants.
The Special Committee on Government Oversight conducted a series of public hearings earlier this year seeking answers concerning the department’s handling of the situation, but the panel’s work had been on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. A letter signed by every committee member from both political parties requesting documents from the department said agency officials called to testify were less than forthcoming, leaving too many unanswered questions.
We are entering our final week of session. This is always the most challenging week of the year for me. The final session means late nights in session, but it also means the majority party pushes through legislation I think is bad policy. It means Democrats are often left standing at the mic, with things left unsaid about policy. This year, with the public discouraged from coming to the Capitol, there have been many provisions added to bills that we disagree with, but aren't caught until the last minute.
If you want to see what is happening in the House, the website is a good source of information. You can watch committee hearings, watch current or past floor debate, look at bills and see what is scheduled. The House website is at
house.mo.gov
.
Missouri's stay at home order has been lifted, and we are now under a
social distancing order
. St. Louis City and County remain under stay-at-home orders.
Covid-19 is a very serious illness, and nearly 5% of those diagnosed in Missouri have died. There is a push to end stay-home orders, but this virus is waiting us out. We are increasing capacity for ventilators, but not for intensive care beds. Currently we have half as many ICU beds available as we did 3 weeks ago.
Missourians in need during COVID-19 can find information about essential services available through the online
Missouri Services Navigator
system. This resource offers instant access to available programs and services such as school meal programs for students, food banks, child care, diaper banks, counseling and organizations that assist with housing, transportation or utilities issues. There are currently over 2,000 services listed, with new services added daily. Users can search by keyword, location and/or service. Every program and service contains a map of the location as well as contact information.
With the social distancing order in place, Governor Parson has said that if your boss requests you come back to work, you will not be eligible for unemployment. However, the Federal CARES act states that if you do not have child care, you can continue to receive unemployment benefits.
There are several things in place to help people and small businesses:
- State Representative Deb Lavender has put together a handy small business guide to the Federal CARES act.
- The Save Small Businesses Fund from the US Chamber of Commerce is a grant program for small businesses in economically vulnerable communities.
- If you are temporarily without work, you can apply for unemployment benefits. Benefits are available without having to prove you are looking for employment if you check the "Covid-19" box. See more at http://labor.mo.gov/coronavirus. Business owners can also fill out a bulk application for all of their employees.
- The CARES Act has put into place a temporary hold on evictions. Read more here.
- Many court proceedings in Missouri are delayed.
- Many utilities have agreed to not shut off service during this crisis
- The deadline for filing Income Tax (state and federal) has been moved to July 15
- RealID waivers are extended until October 1, 2021.
If you or your business needs help with these or other issues, my office stands ready to help.
All Missouri schools are closed through the end of the year.
Here are the information pages for schools in District 91:
Webster Groves
,
Lindbergh
,
Affton
, and
St Louis Public Schools
. Schools are providing meals to free and reduced-price lunch students. While I believe schools hope to be back in session next year, they also planning for how to continue social distancing.
Affton and Webster Groves have announced that their summer school program will be online next year.
The Missouri House Democratic Caucus has put forth recommendations for what the state can do to address the Covid-19 crisis. You can see them at
https://www.molegdems.com/covid19.
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Fixing Missouri's
Medicaid
system is an issue I have been concerned about for a long time and have spoken about in past newsletters. The Federal Families First act gives additional matching funds to states for Medicaid, but one of the conditions of these funds is that they do not cut anyone off Medicaid during this crisis. The good news is,
Missouri will not cut anyone off Medicaid during this crisis.
Also, if you are
diagnosed with Covid-19
and meet the Medicaid criteria for a person with a disability (no more than 85% of Federal Poverty Level; asset limit of $4,000 for individuals or $8,000 for families),
you can get Medicaid for 90 days
.
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My office has published a
consumer guide
but will not be sending it to the district.
We have had a small number printed to make available to constituents, please contact my office if you would like a copy
. The
consumer guide
is ava
ilable thr
ough my
website
from the "District Publication" button.
I am working to build a
coalition of people with disabilities in my district
. If you have a disability and would like to help advise me on disability issues,
please let me know
. The concept of "nothing about us without us" is important to me and needs to be part of all policy making, especially relating to people with disabilities.
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If you have received a surprise medical bill, I would like to hear your story. Please
e-mail me
with the subject "surprise bill" or call my office at
573-751-1285 to tell us your story.
The Department of Insurance is available to advocate for customers who think they have been taken advantage of. You can call their consumer helpline at 573-751-4126 to get help on insurance matters.
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RealID compliant drivers and nondrivers licenses
are now available with proper
documentation
. Please note that the Federal government requires a copy of this documentation be kept for several years.
You can go to the DMV and request a replacement for your current license with the Real ID for a $5 processing fee.
If you renew your license at the time of the request you will be charged the renewal fee. You need a RealID compliant Identification Card to board an airplane and enter federal buildings; Missouri issued Identification Cards (including drivers' licenses) will be accepted in lieu of RealID until
October 1, 2021
. Some military bases require individuals to present a RealID. For more information about RealID, go to
dor.mo.gov/drivers/real-id-information/
.
According to the federal Real ID Act, states must retain paper copies of source documents for a minimum of 7 years, and images/microfiche of source documents for at least 10 years, after which point they are to be irretrievably destroyed. Missouri statute complies with this requirement and permits the Department of Revenue to keep these documents within a system not connected to the internet or accessible by any other state or the federal government.
When you get a RealID, please note that the state is required to keep a digital copy of your data for ten years. If you are using a document with private information for identification, like a bank statement, I believe you can redact that information before they scan it.
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Wednesday, April 1, was Census Day!
If you have not completed the census, I encourage you to complete it as soon as possible. In a normal Census year, the census hires individuals to go door-to-door to help people complete the census. Social distancing complicates this exponentially.
If you have any problems completing the census, my office will be happy to help.
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Capitol Construction
The Missouri Capitol will be under construction for the next two years. Many streets around the Capitol are closed, with signs directing an alternate route. The Capitol Dome is also closed. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2020.
You cannot tour the Capitol while it is closed to the public, but you can take a virtual tour!
Here is a 30-minute virtual
tour of the art of our Capitol that was produced by Ozarks Public Television a few years ago. Here is the link:
Stately Images - The Public Art of Missouri's State Capitol
Also, House Communications produced a virtual Capitol dome tour that highlights our famous whispering gallery and the view from the top of the building. Here is the link:
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Nancy and I will not be meeting people in the office, but we will return phone calls and e-mails. You may call at 573-751-1285 or e-mail at
[email protected]
.
I have two interns this year: Abby, from the University of Missouri, and Noelle, from Washington University's Brown School. They have been incredibly helpful to my office.
I enjoy opportunities to meet with people in the community and participate in local events. It's one of the best parts of my job!
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Thanks for reading. Have a great week!
Sarah
Representative Sarah Unsicker
91st District
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I serve as policy chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
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The committees I am on are:
- Children and Families (Ranking member)
- Rules - Legislative Oversight (Ranking member)
- Health and Mental Health Policy
- Subcommittee on Healthcare Reform
- Joint Committee on Public Assistance
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- HB 1270, relating to Department mailings for blind pension recipients (Reported out of Consent committee);
- HB 1271, banning retailers from selling crib bumpers (Passed Children and Families);
- HB 1272, erasing the waiting period for enrolling children in CHIP health insurance (HB 2379, filed by Representative Steve Helms (R-Springfield), containing the provisions in this bill, was heard 2/24 in the Health and Mental Health Committee);
- HB 1273, relating to how often we verify eligibility for Medicaid recipients;
- HB 1274, requiring children to be in rear-facing child safety seats until they are two years old (HB 2199, filed by Representative Elaine Gannon (R-De Soto), which is very similar to this bill, was voted out of the House and is going to the senate);
- HB 1275, relating to when schools must report discipline incidents to law enforcement (scheduled for hearing 3/17 in Special Committee on Student Accountability; this committee hearing was cancelled);
- HB 1276, requiring agencies that work with people with disabilities to help them secure competitive, integrated employment;
- HB 1277, banning the death penalty;
- HB 1278, requiring a certificate of value before transferring interest in real property;
- HB 1670, maintains enrollment for eligible children on Medicaid for one year (HB 2379, filed by Representative Steve Helms (R-Springfield), containing the provisions in this bill, was heard 2/24 in the Health and Mental Health Committee));
- HB 1671, extends and relocates the trauma-informed schools program;
- HB 1672, expands eligibility for the show-me healthy babies program to infants (currently cannot enroll a child after it is born);
- HB 1673, maintains enrollment for eligible individuals on Medicaid who are aged, blind, or disabled for one year.
- HB 2158 related to the drug utilization review board;
-
HB 2159 related to regulating tobacco products;
- HB 2160 requiring the Department of Revenue to add information about tax credits to its annual report.
- HB 2357, requiring insurers to cover certified midwife services if they cover nurse midwives
- HB 2358, requiring a report on the Governor's initiative to make Missouri a Model Employer for people with disabilities. (SB 974, with the same language, was heard in the Senate on 3/10.)
- HB 2438, which modifies the Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board to require the board to consider social determinants of health and racism when reviewing severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality.
- HB 2439, requiring Missouri to follow federal guidelines when redetermining eligibility for Medicaid and to reduce unnecessary burdens.
- HB 2440, adding tobacco and vapor products to the drug-free education program in schools.
- HR 4542, regarding inclusion for people with disabilities in the workforce and in the classroom
- HB 2601, creating protections for immigrant tenants
- HB 2609, allows school districts to annex onto special school districts.
- HR 4542, regarding inclusion for people with disabilities in the workforce and in the classroom
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Representative Sarah Unsicker
573-751-1285
Missouri Capitol, Room 135B-C
Paid for by Sarah Unsicker for State Representative, Dan Flaxbart, Treasurer
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