JEFFERSON CITY • The Missouri Senate has approved a budget plan that calls for full funding of a long-standing health care program for the blind.
The House had stripped funding for the program, which covers some 2,800 blind Missourians, to stave off further cuts to higher education in its own budget recommendation last month.
The two sides must resolve their differences in conference, but the Senate’s action late Tuesday leaves the door open for negotiations.
Senate Appropriations Chair Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, had planned to use $18 million from unanticipated Medicaid payments to cover part of the program. He said the other $10 million could be recouped through a system modeled after health insurance for state workers that requires deductibles and premiums.
"This is a way that nobody gets cut," Schaefer said, but the proposal was panned by advocates for the blind.
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In an 18-16 vote, senators Tuesday opted to restore full funding under the current program requirements.
Sen. Jim Lembke, a Republican from Lemay who sponsored the amendment to restore funding, said the Legislature has been able to find money for other programs.
“It’s just about priorities,†he said.
Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, said he also took issue with cutting aid to blind Missourians.
“We are so broke that blind people are the problem?†he said.
The funding for the blind was among several proposals that senators have had to work through this week as they tried to pass a $24 billion spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1.
After appearing to be locked in an impasse on Monday and early Tuesday, senators worked Tuesday night - staying until 2:30 a.m. to pass budget bills.
Lawmakers nearly hit another snag Tuesday night when they reached a vote over state employee pay raises, but eventually moved past the disagreement.
The Senate's budget proposal includes 2 percent increases for employees who make less than $45,000 a year.
A group of senators tried to remove the raises, but that amendment was defeated in a 17-15 vote after a nearly two-hour debate.
“What we are all struggling with is the reality that there are greater demands in the state of Missouri than we have resources,†said Crowell, who voted against the increase. “These are difficult decisions.â€
Schaefer defended the increase proposal, which is a scaled-back version of a plan approved by the House. The House recommendation would have increased pay for state workers who make below $70,000.
“The idea was really to find people who are at the low end,†Schaefer said, noting that prison guards and people who work with the developmentally disabled will be the ones to benefit. “If you wanna keep those people working you’ve gotta pay more.â€
Reflecting on the budget process, which included several starts and stops and had lawmakers at the Capitol past midnight Monday and Tuesday, Schaefer said there is still a lot to be resolved as lawmakers prepare for negotiations between the House and Senate. The conference committees could meet as early as next week, he said.
"I'd say we're about halfway through," he said. "There are always a lot of changes in conference ... This is not the final product."
