Politics Watch — March 9, 2009
Missouri lawmakers repsond to executive order
Today President Barack Obama has signed an executive order that lifted restrictions on stem cell research that were put into place during the tenure of Obama's predecessor, George Bush.
"We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research," Obama said in remarks after signing the bill, which were obtained from a White House press release. " And we will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield."
The ban on stem cell research, issued by Bush in 2001, had restricted federal funding to just a few pre-existing lines, some of which, according to a report published by Forbes, were unusable by scientists for high quality research.
In a release, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., praised Obama's measure.
“The fact that President Obama is willing to once again say to the rest of world that we will be the beacon for cures and hope is encouraging," she stated in the release. "My religion teaches me to heal the sick and God gave us this intelligence to find cures for the sick."
In an e-mail message, Paul Sloca, the spokesman for U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., said, considering recent advances in scientific research, Obama's decision to executive order was "unnecessarily divisive."
"To date, there has been more success with non-embryonic stem cell research than with embryonic stem cell research and that’s why there is no reason to force taxpayers to fund research that will destroy human embryos," Sloca stated. "The current policy has allowed for important medical breakthroughs thanks to research conducted in a responsible and moral manner and the president should rescind his decision and bring Americans together under sound science instead of divide through political appeasement.”
Nixon unveils new health care plan
Gov. Jay Nixon is traveling to health centers across the state this week to announce a plan that would expand state health care coverage by about 34,800 Missourians without additional costs to taxpayers.
Nixon reached an agreement with the Missouri Hospital Association to transfer $52 million that normally would be used to compensate hospitals for taking care of uninsured patients. According to a release from Nixon's office, this expansion would allow Missouri to draw $93 million in federal matching funds for state-assisted health care.
“Ensuring that our workforce has access to quality, affordable health care is vital for turning our economy in the right direction,” Nixon stated in the release. “To provide for their children, parents must be healthy enough to get to work and perform on the job."
Nixon will be in Columbia at 9 a.m. tomorrow to announce the plan.
Currently, for Missourians to qualify for state health care, a family with two children would need to be making less than 20 percent of the federal poverty level. For Nixon's plan to go into action, the Missouri General Assembly would need to approve an expansion of Medicaid eligibility to 50 percent of the poverty level.
Nixon proposes appointment to Board of Curators
In a flurry of appointments announced today by Gov. Jay Nixon to various governmental departments, the governor has picked Don Downing, a St. Louis attorney and an alumnus of MU and the MU Law School.
Downing previously served as a chief deputy attorney general in Missouri from 1993-1995, and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court four times.
The Missouri Senate will have to approve Nixon's appointment for Downing to take the seat.
