Tagged: Jacob Hummel

House Democrats are sponsoring legislation to expand Medicaid in Missouri, despite the fact that the state budget filed by Republicans leaves out the proposed expansion.

House Bill 627 would expand Medicaid to an additional 300,000 Missourians, and House Democrats say not passing it would cost the state 5,000 jobs and could force some rural hospitals to close their doors.  Kerry Noble is CEO of Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems in the Missouri Boot-heal.

It appears that Missouri has lost about $2.3 billion in revenue over the past nine years because it does not collect sales taxes on purchases made over the Internet.

A report issued by the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs says that averages out to around $468 million a year.  House Minority Floor Leader Jacob Hummel (D, St. Louis) says collecting taxes on Internet sales could help fund several critical needs, including K-12 schools.

“I think if you look at just levels of school funding, when adjusted for inflation, we’re back at levels in the early (19)90’s," Hummel said.  "Clearly this is a way to enhance revenue.”

The Missouri House has given first-round approval to another workers’ compensation bill.

Governor Jay Nixon (D) vetoed a similar bill last month that originated in the Senate.  The House version contains most of the same provisions – it would bar employees from suing each other over workplace injuries and illnesses, and it would restore occupational disease claims within the workers’ comp system.  State Rep. Jacob Hummel (D, St. Louis) debated with the bill’s sponsor, Dave Schatz (R, Sullivan).