By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A local state representative isn’t all that worried about how slowly the Missouri legislative session is moving, though he is keeping his eye on one measure in particular.
Rep. Dean VanSchoiack of Savannah also is pleased with the emphasis on transportation in the $51 billion state budget approved by the Missouri House and sent to the Senate.
VanSchoiack says changes in the initiative petition process and providing tax breaks to boost child care options in the state seem to be the top priorities this legislative session. But VanSchoiack says a tax collected by hospitals vital to the funding of Medicaid needs to pass.
“The thing I’m worried about most is getting the FRA (federal reimbursement allowance) passed this year,” VanSchoiack tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “Hopefully, we can get that done without having to go to special session like we did two years ago.”
Hospitals collect a little more than $4 billion through the FRA tax in support of the state Medicaid program. Members of the Freedom Caucus in the State Senate have held up passage of the tax.
VanSchoiack, a Republican, isn’t sold yet on efforts to turn U.S. Highway 36 into Interstate 72.
VanSchoiack acknowledges an interstate designation would help the cities along Highway 36, but he worries the restricted access to an interstate would harm the agricultural economy of northern Missouri.
“That will cut down access for farmers getting their machinery from one farm to another and getting their produce to the market and livestock as well,” VanSchoiack says. “It’s got pluses, it’s got minuses.”
VanSchoiack says he would be interested in what a study of turning Highway 36 into I-72 would reveal. The representative says the push for I-72 comes more from the Hannibal area than northwest Missouri.
Gov. Mike Parson vetoed the funding last year, but backers of the provision believe they might have answered the governor’s objections this year.
VanSchoiack is pleased the state budget again contains $100 million to repair and upgrade the rural, two-lane, blacktop roads throughout the state. VanSchoiack says the General Assembly had to allocate funding for those rural roads through state appropriations, because the Department of Transportation doesn’t seem too willing to fund it out of the highway budget.
“We have many that have been neglected for years and years,” according to VanSchoiack. “It seems like MoDOT’s not willing to spend their money on them. They have other projects they feel are more important. We as a legislature feel it’s a priority. So, we’ve put in $100 million every year for three years now, specifically for those lettered routes.”
VanSchoiack says that allocation for rural, blacktop roads is very important for his district.
The Missouri Senate is expected to debate the state budget soon.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.