MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Senate began debate on Wednesday on sweeping reforms to the state's welfare rules that will require all recipients to go to work within two years.
The bill implements the federal welfare law that sets a five-year lifetime ban on cash assistance and requires anyone receiving assistance to be in a work activity after two years.
This means that with just a few exceptions, no one in the state will be able to receive cash assistance without participating in a work-related activity. About 76,000 Missouri families currently receive some form of assistance from the state.
Bill sponsor Sen. Joe Maxwell, D-Mexico, emphasized there is no longer a welfare system.
"Welfare is over," he said. "What we have are programs that provide further assistance to get people to work."
Maxwell compared the new programs to unemployment compensation.
"Just like you receive unemployment for a limited time to help you get through when you lose a job, these programs will help you get that job in the first place," he said.
Senate Republican Leader Steve Ehlmann, R-St. Charles, had expressed concern that the bill created a new entitlement program.
Maxwell responded to those concerns by emphasizing in the bill the limited amount of funding available to support those who need assistance. The state is setting aside $146.6 million, combined with a $214 million block grant from the federal government, for welfare recipients.
"There is a finite amount of money," Maxwell said. "What this means is that if more people come onto the rolls, everyone gets less." However, the new federal law also allows states to save some of its welfare money from year to year for times when there may be an economic downturn.
The federal law permits the state to exempt 20 percent of its welfare population from the five year limit on cash assistance. These people would not, however, be exempted from the two-year work requirement.
Missouri's bill would allow the state to spend its money to exempt people from the work requirement because of age or physical or mental disability.
"100 percent of our state cannot go to work," Maxwell said. "Grandparents who are already going above and beyond the call of duty by raising their grandchildren should not also be forced to work in order to receive cash assistance."
The federal welfare law does not provide cash assistance to legal immigrants or provide more than three months of food stamps to anyone who is not working. While some states are picking up the support for these people, Missouri's bill does not.
"We simply don't have the funds," Maxwell said. "The cost is too great."
One amendment approved Wednesday implements a triage program that allows the state to step in and provide a one-time payment for people who have an emergency situation.
"If we don't step in quickly then the person may end up back on full assistance," Maxwell said. "It would be better to pay a month of someone's rent than to have them end up homeless."
One of the most controversial aspects of welfare reform -- fingerprinting of welfare recipients -- is not currently part of the bill and Maxwell said he hopes can be postponed until next year.
"We need to face the issue sometime but it's not a critical piece this year," Maxwell said. "I think we should wait and deal with it next session.
Sen. Roseann Bentley, R-Sprinfield, said she believes it is a very reasonable bill.
"We really tried to be cautious and not hurt children," she said. "We are stuck with observing the federal time line and mandates, but I think this bill in a good balance -- there is a change in the system and we still protect children."
Maxwell said he does not expect to bring the bill back up for debate until next Monday or Tuesday, and he expects a vote to be taken by the end of next week.