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Preparing to Care fails in House

Two amendments that would have reinstated funding for the higher education program were voted down.

By Andrew Denney
March 27, 2008

A few last-ditch attempts by Missouri House members to secure funding for an initiative that would have increased the number of health care professionals in the state were voted down Wednesday by the House.

State Reps. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, and Sara Lampe, D-Springfield, both proposed amendments Wednesday to restore funding for the Preparing to Care Initiative, which was left out of the higher education appropriations bill for next year's House budget.

The initiative would have given $13.4 million to be divided among all Missouri public colleges and universities, the amount Gov. Matt Blunt recommended for the program.

House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Allen Icet, R-Wildwood, said March 10 the initiative was dropped because future state budgets might not be able to support new programs.

The amendment proposed by Robb was voted down on the House floor 102-50, and Lampe's amendment was voted down 77-76.

Robb's amendment requested $6 million to be divided among MU, UM-Kansas City and UM-St. Louis for the program. Lampe said she voted against the amendment proposed by Robb because it left out the rest of Misouri's colleges and universities.

After the House rejected Robb's amendment, Lampe proposed an amendment that would have given the program $13 million — which Robb voted against.

"Every college and university had a piece of Preparing to Care," Lampe said. "It was a brilliant plan."

Both amendments requested funding for the initiative from the state's Access Missouri financial assistance program, which has been allocated $100 million in next year's budget.

The initiative was created last year while UM system Executive Vice President Gordon Lamb was serving as interim president of the UM system.

Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, who voted for both amendments, said he was "saddened" the amendments didn't pass.

"I still felt the plan had merit," Hobbs said.

Lampe said House members would work with members of the Senate to attempt to reinstate the initiative into the state budget.

Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, who voted for the amendments, said she hopes members of the Senate will see the importance of the initiative when the upper house begins deliberations on the budget.

"We think it's a critical program because the health care professional shortage is critical," Baker said.