JEFFERSON CITY – I’m thrilled to report the Senate has given a preliminary round of approval to Senate Bills 45 & 90, a combined, bi-partisan proposal to extend MO HealthNet coverage to postpartum women from 60 days to one year following birth. It’s so important to extend these benefits because many postpartum conditions do not present themselves in the first two months. According to the National Library of Medicine, Missouri ranks 44th out of 50 states for its maternal mortality rates, and 82% of these mortalities are preventable. Vulnerable, low-income moms deserve health care and support, so I’m hopeful we can get this bill to the governor’s desk this session.
I also advanced my “telecommunicator first responder” proposal when I presented it to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee on Feb. 22. Senate Bill 46 adds telecommunicators to the definition of first responders in statute and permits political subdivisions to choose whether or not to extend benefits to this group. The dedicated employees who respond to 911 emergency calls undergo rigorous training and play a critical role in saving lives, so I believe they should have the same benefits and treatment as public safety personnel.
The General Assembly passed its first piece of legislation on Feb. 22 to help curb our state government’s massive worker shortages. House Bill 14 is a supplemental budget bill that was prioritized by the governor in his State of the State address to give all state employees who are not elected officials a substantial 8.7% raise. The measure also provides additional funding to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish school safety programs and upgrade safety equipment. It is no secret that our state’s veterans homes, child protective services, prisons and mental health facilities are struggling to attract and retain workers, so I hope this will incentivize more people to pursue state careers and remain employed by these agencies that so desperately need help.