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Cunningham: HCB3 replacement will be ‘hopefully one of the first bills in regular session’

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Sen. Mike Cunningham, R- Rogersville, sparked interest when he met with Missouri Governor Eric Greitens to unveil his proposed fix to budgetary cuts that removed in-home care for previously estimated 8,000 elderly Missourians.

“We’re just going to take it during the regular session,” Cunningham said Monday. “Hopefully it can be one of the first bills in the regular session.”

Cunningham

His proposal includes creating a cap for a tax break for renters at $450 and to limit the relief to households who made $22,000 or less. Such an action would free up an estimated $35 million for the Medicaid recipients who would have lost services.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch previously reported Cunningham’s account of the meeting with Greitens, saying that he was “receptive” to Cunningham’s proposal. The Senator clarified yesterday that the governor “didn’t say yes or no, but he listened and was very interested.”

Last week, President Pro-Tem Ron Richard, R – Joplin, announced that it would be unlikely that the Missouri Legislature or Greitens would call for a special session to vote on Cunningham’s proposal. Cunningham said it would be difficult to gather the votes and assemble a quorum, as it gets closer to holiday time.

 

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