Survey Available!
My office will not be mailing out surveys this year. Instead, you can access our survey online at https://xeroxcorp.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eCGy4KvqhuD9bJH . These surveys help our office determine priorities and now how the District feels on a variety of topics. I hope you will take the time to take our survey!
What's Happening Report
May 4, 2020
Coffee mug
Hello!

Your state legislature returned to the Capitol last Monday. The priority was on the budget, and the House passed the budget on Wednesday.

This is not the budget that was written in committee. Truthfully, that budget wouldn't make sense. There is a large revenue shortfall due to the Coronavirus and associated stay-home orders. People are not shopping as much so sales tax revenues are down, and income tax revenues are down dramatically because the tax filing deadline was moved from April to July. They are expected to increase, but income taxes and corporate tax revenues will be down next year because people aren't working. Unemployment is significantly increased, as has our need for social services like SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid.

So a new budget had to be created out of whole cloth. This was done, not with committee hearings and department requests, but with the budget chair sitting down with people from the Governor's office and the Senate and drafting a new budget. This new budget is essentially what the House voted out last Wednesday, with few amendments.

The budget is not the only sausage being made right now. Committees are amending bills to add sections that have not been vetted in committees. Bills that were initially 3 pages are now 80 pages or longer. You can see the list of House Committee Substitutes for bills here .

Perhaps most frustrating is the partisan agenda that is being pushed through. On Friday, the House General Laws committee voted along party lines to push through a bill that would require language be placed on the ballot to undo the Clean amendment--specifically, to allow gerrymandering and to change how people are counted in legislative districts. It is not clear how this change would be implemented, but it is clear that the state would have to defend it in court. (Reference my discussion on the budget earlier.)

I cannot go through all the bills that are being discussed on the floor, but with people discouraged from coming into the Capitol, this legislation is mostly being done without public comment.

I do have a bit of good news to share. Republicans have repeatedly refused to expand Medicaid (and there was a heated debate about it during the budget debate on Wednesday!) They even went so far as to put language in the budget specifying that we will not expand Medicaid. But people have been gathering signatures to put it on the ballot, and those signatures were turned in on Friday! So Missouri voters will get a chance to determine whether Medicaid should be expanded in Missouri.

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 is lifted as of today, and we are under a new social distancing order. I'll note that 10% of the total Covid-19 cases that have been reported are in the hospital, and Missouri saw a 4% increase in cases on Saturday. St. Louis City and County remain under stay-at-home orders.

Governor Parson does a daily briefing at 3:00, which is also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GovMikeParson/videos/ . You do not have to be on Facebook to see them.

Please keep talking about hand washing , what social distancing means, and cleaning and disinfecting .

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 stay-home 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
  • Drivers' Licenses and motor vehicle licenses that are set to expire are given a 60 day extension
  • 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.

Webster Groves has 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.
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 .
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.
Medical Bills
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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.
RealID Update
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.
Census Update
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.
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:

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 sarah.unsicker@house.mo.gov .

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!
Thanks for reading. Have a great week!

Sarah
Representative Sarah Unsicker
91st District
Leadership
I serve as policy chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
Committees
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
Bills Filed (2020)
  • 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
Representative Sarah Unsicker
573-751-1285
Missouri Capitol, Room 135B-C
Paid for by Sarah Unsicker for State Representative, Dan Flaxbart, Treasurer