{"id":9492,"date":"2023-05-12T08:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-12T13:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/empowermissouri.org\/?p=9492"},"modified":"2023-08-07T20:23:36","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T01:23:36","slug":"wrapping-up-the-2023-legislative-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empowermissouri.org\/es\/wrapping-up-the-2023-legislative-session\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrapping Up the 2023 Legislative Session"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2023 legislative session will end today at 6PM, so there\u2019s only a few hours remaining for the legislature to pass any final bills before the clock runs out.  There will be several opportunities over the next week to debrief the session with Empower Missouri.  On Monday, look for a special email with our end-of-session podcast<\/a>, where our team will debrief the highs and lows of the session and then discuss what comes next.  And next Friday, you can join me, our policy staff, and members of our lobbying team for our final Friday Forum<\/a> of the spring where we\u2019ll be talking through all of the outcomes and previewing our policy priorities for 2024.  But, in the meantime, here\u2019s a quick glimpse at some of our most exciting victories and toughest disappointments\u2013 along with what we\u2019ll be watching for today! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last Friday, May 5th, the legislature passed SB 106. The underlying bill creates new restrictions for the types of examinations that medical professionals can perform on unconscious or anesthetized patients, but two of our key policy priorities were added to this bill during the amendment process. First, the bill will create a transitional benefits program in Missouri. This program will provide critical support for families who are working their way out of poverty<\/a>, but would be financially devastated by the sudden loss of all benefits when they hit the income caps for those programs. Missouri\u2019s new transitional benefit program will provide a necessary stop-gap for families receiving SNAP, TANF, and childcare assistance who are starting to earn higher wages but can\u2019t yet afford to lose all of their benefits. This legislation also directs the Missouri Department of Social Services to significantly streamline and shorten the application for benefits programs in Missouri, making it easier for Missouri families to access federal safety net programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(ICYMI: All federal safety net programs have income caps for participation. Once an individual reaches that income limit, they are cut off from benefits. Many times this benefit ends when someone makes  just $ .10 a more an hour. This drop off, often referred to as the benefits cliff, can disincentivize someone from taking a pay increase or a promotion to a better job.) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, SB 106 contained the much-debated postpartum Medicaid expansion language that will allow women to stay on Medicaid for a full year after giving birth. (There is a higher income threshold for pregnant women to access Medicaid, so many women qualify for the program while pregnant, but they currently lose that coverage 60 days after giving birth.) Over 40 percent of women who give birth in Missouri do so while on Medicaid. Missouri has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, and 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths occur postpartum. This is a life-saving piece of legislation for thousands of low-income mothers in our state.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our second major set of wins comes from our Community Justice Coalition<\/a>. On Thursday, May 11th, the legislature passed SB 189, an omnibus bill with over 100 pages of updated provisions dealing with our criminal legal system in Missouri. While there were a couple of negative provisions (see next section), the bill was overwhelmingly positive.  Here are some of the features that we\u2019re most excited by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n