Andrews seeks senior care funding solution
State Rep. Allen Andrews
State Rep. Allen Andrews, R-Grant City, issued a statement Friday saying he was “working diligently to find additional revenue sources for programs that provide vital services to Missouri’s senior population.”
The release was issued with regard to a piece of legislation, known as House Committee Bill 3, that was approved this year by the General Assembly but vetoed by Gov. Eric Greitens.
According to the Missouri Association of Area Agencies on Aging website, HCB 3 was intended to help provide support services and in-home care for more than 8,000 low-income seniors, veterans and people living with disabilities and minor health care issues.
The bill sought to “sweep” $35 million from various state fund balances into general revenue in what would have amounted to a one-time fix.
While widely supported by Democrats, the Missouri Times reported that the bill also attracted an unusual amount of bipartisan backing during the 2017 legislative session.
Senators approved a version of the bill by a veto-proof majority of 27-5.
The House of Representatives, however, passed HCB 3 during the final minutes of the session by a margin of 83-67. That’s 25 votes shy of the veto-proof threshold.
In rejecting the measure, Greitens described the proposal as a “budget gimmick.”
The question now is whether HCB 3 has enough Republican support to become law over Greitens’ objections when the House and Senate convene for their annual veto session on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
Andrews, in his release, said the bill was intended to preserve eligibility levels for in-home and nursing services for seniors and people with disabilities.
“Without the bill, the levels increased and caused thousands of vulnerable Missourians to lose their services,” said Andrews, who added that he is working with other lawmakers in an effort to restore aid.
“Whatever the path forward may be, I am committed to advocating for our seniors and working to find a solution that will prevent those in need from losing access to the care they need,” Andrews said.
“We’re less than two weeks away from our annual veto session, and right now we’re looking at our options to deal with this problem. I will be supportive of any viable solution that restores the funding that will bring the eligibility requirements back to their original level.”
Andrews’ release followed a recent Maryville Daily Forum report in which Nodaway County Senior Center Administrator Amie Firavich disclosed that the center, which provides cafeteria and home-delivered meals to the elderly and people with disabilities, is losing 100 percent of its state and federal funding through the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging.
