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 - Children raised their voices in spiritual and patriotic songs at the state capital Wednesday to remind lawmakers that their decisions on welfare reform directly affect some of Missouri's youngest citizens.
About 50 people from various social advocacy organizations who oppose the welfare bill waiting final approval in the Senate listened as the children sang the national anthem and legislators spoke about the importance of making the right choices in welfare reform.
The participants focused on a welfare reform bill given first-round approval by the Senate last week. The bill implements federal guidelines placing a five-year lifetime ban on assistance and requires recipients to go to work in two years.
The Senate bill also denies benefits to anyone convicted on a drug felony charge and allows the Social Services Department to test welfare recipients for drugs and declare them ineligible for up to one year.
Past and current welfare recipients said they believe these measures are punitive.
"It is turning welfare moms and children into criminals," said Robin Acree of Mexico, who got off of welfare three years ago. "We need child care guarantees, livable-wage jobs, transportation and health care."
Sherrie Cade and Karen Tye, both of Kansas City, currently receive welfare and said legislators are not paying attention to their needs.
"There is a missing piece in this puzzle," Cade said. "They're not coming through and asking our opinion. We are held accountable for everything, but the people producing the reform are not being held accountable for what they are doing."
Cade and Tye are trying to help other welfare mothers through their own motivational services group.
"There is a prejudice against women on welfare," Tye said. "There is an assumption they have to be bad."
Rep. Vicky Ribach Wilson, D-Columbia, gathered on stage with the 16 members of the St. Monica Children's Choir.
"We need to always remember to in mind the welfare of the children," she said. "The federal mandates say that work and family are important. But we need to make sure we make allowances for age or a physical or mental disability. Ultimately we need to do what is in the best interest of the child."
Peter DeSimone, executive director of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare, which organized the rally, said his group is opposed to the Senate bill.
"There are too many things wrong with it," he said. "There is too much criminalization, too much authority to the Social Services Department, and not enough given to child care, transportation and job development."
However, the Senate bill's sponsor, Sen. Joe Maxwell, D-Mexico, said the bill strikes the right balance.
"The federal bill requires sanctions on drug felons," he said. "We have to work with where we are. Washington is not moving to change the welfare law, so we have to deal with it."