Page 57 - Weldon Spring News Today

A constitutional amendment asking Missourians to let lawmakers decide year-to-year whether the state will offer Medicaid to working-age adults moved closer to passage on Wednesday.

A constitutional amendment would ask Missourians to let lawmakers decide year-to-year whether the state will offer Medicaid expansion.

Members of the Missouri Senate's conservative caucus on Wednesday made it clear they would once again derail the chamber with procedural maneuvers in order to block negotiations with the House over a new congressional map.

The Missouri Senate conservative caucus is opposed to allowing the chamber to negotiate with the House about new congressional maps.

Under the new plan, Missouri will likely still send six Republicans and two Democrats to Washington, but district lines differ in a number of ways.

The Senate-approved map consolidates the district of Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to parts of Jackson and Clay Counties, eliminating more Republican-leaning areas to the east. The change would make the district even more safely Democratic while shoring up GOP control of neighboring districts.

The map makes several changes compared to the House version that passed in January, including adding an emergency clause, which would put it into effect before the Aug. 2 primary.

The map makes several changes compared to the House version that passed in January, including adding an emergency clause, which would put it into effect before the Aug. 2 primary.

Under the new plan, Missouri will likely still send six Republicans and two Democrats to Washington, but district lines differ in a number of ways.

While the Missouri House has already passed nearly 40 bills, gridlock in the Senate has brought operations in the upper chamber to a near-standstill. With eight weeks left, only a supplemental budget bill has made it past the finish line so far.