Thursday, May 23, 2013

Data: Preview | Influence Explorer

Data: Preview | Influence Explorer

State2012-04-23$1,500.00MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF REHABILITATIVE FACILITIESJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF REHABILITATIVE FACILITIESGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-06-15$1,500.00MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF REHABILITATIVE FACILITIESJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF REHABILITATIVE FACILITIESGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-02-02$600.00MISSOURI ASSOCATION OF REHABILITATIVE FACILITIES PACJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI ASSOCATION OF REHABILITATIVE FACILITIES PACGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2011-12-26$500.00AFSCME MISSOURIAFSCME MISSOURIGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-08-09$500.00FRIENDS OF DIEHLTOWN AND COUNTRY, MOFRIENDS OF DIEHLGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2011-05-24$500.00COMCASTPHILADELPHIA, PACOMCASTGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-08-31$500.00MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2011-06-08$500.00MISSOURI COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORSJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORSGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-09-05$500.00MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-10-09$500.00DOWNTOWN COUNCIL PACKANSAS CITY, MODOWNTOWN COUNCIL PACGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-07-03$500.00CITIZENS FOR TIMOTHY W JONESEUREKA, MOCITIZENS FOR TIMOTHY W JONESGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-08-11$500.00MAJOR BRANDSKANSAS CITY, MOMAJOR BRANDSGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-09-25$500.00HCFA MISSOURI GOOD GOVERNMENT FUNDJEFFERSON CITY, MOHCFA MISSOURI GOOD GOVERNMENT FUNDGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-09-11$500.00MISSOURI STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2011-10-25$500.00MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONMISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATIONGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-07-02$500.00HALLMARK GLOBAL SERVICESKANSAS CITY, MOHALLMARK GLOBAL SERVICESGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-01-20$400.00ISLE OF CAPRI CASINOST LOUIS, MOISLE OF CAPRI CASINOGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-10-17$350.00AMERENJEFFERSON CITY, MOAMERENGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-09-18$350.00JOHNSON & JOHNSON CORPORATE POLITICAL FUNDNEW BRUNSWICK, NJJOHNSON & JOHNSON CORPORATE POLITICAL FUNDGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-06-29$325.00HOME BUILDERS INDUSTRY PACST LOUIS, MOHOME BUILDERS INDUSTRY PACGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-10-17$300.00ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVESJEFFERSON CITY, MOASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI ELECTRIC COOPERATIVESGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-03-02$300.00WORTH, BEVERLYLEES SUMMIT, MO GRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-10-25$250.00HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER KANSAS CITY BUILD PACKANSAS CITY, MOHOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER KANSAS CITY BUILD PACGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-10-09$250.00KANSAS CITY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSLEAWOOD, KSKANSAS CITY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-07-26$250.00MISSOURI STATE FARM AGENTSJEFFERSON CITY, MOMISSOURI STATE FARM AGENTSGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2011-10-17$250.00MICROSOFTMICROSOFTGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-06-22$250.00KANSAS CITY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSOVERLAND PARK, KSKANSAS CITY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-03-27$200.00CITIZENS FOR HINSONSAINT CLAIR, MOCITIZENS FOR HINSONGRISAMORE, JEFF
State2012-02-27$200.00SIMMONS, RUSSELL & SHIRLEYLEES SUMMIT, MO GRISAMORE, JEFF
State2011-10-17$150.00AT&TAT&TGRISAMORE, JEFF

Jeff Grisamore (R-MO) | Influence Explorer: Campaign Finance

Jeff Grisamore (R-MO) | Influence Explorer: Campaign Finance


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As Missouri's Medicaid awaits reform, health centers continue to serve uninsured | KBIA

As Missouri's Medicaid awaits reform, health centers continue to serve uninsured | KBIA


As Missouri's Medicaid awaits reform, health centers continue to serve uninsured

This week on KBIA’s talk show Intersection, host Ryan Famuliner sat down with State Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), Rep. Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) and Rep. Chris Kelly (D-Columbia) to discuss the legislative session that ended on Friday. One of the main things on the show’s agenda was, of course, Medicaid expansion – or lack thereof.
Famuliner asked the panelists why the expansion failed to pass. 
“I think it’s the cost and the uncertainty, keep in mind: We got 900,000 Missourians who are currently on Medicaid,” Sen. Schaefer said. “Of that 900,000 population, we spend just over $3 billion of our discretionary general revenue each year.”
Like other Republicans who reject Medicaid expansion, Schaefer cites high cost and the need to reform the program as reasons for their opposition. Schaefer and other Republicans have expressed the need for Missourians on Medicaid to have more “skin in the game” of their health care cost. They argue that Medicaid needs to have stipulations such as co-pays and deductibles, like regular insurance plans. 
Most Missourians currently enrolled in Medicaid are children. In 2005, Missouri reduced its Medicaid eligibility and removed more than 100,000 people from the program. As it stands right now, without the expansion, Missouri’s Medicaid does not cover able-bodied adults with no children, no matter how small their income.
On Intersection, Famuliner asked the panelists what will happen to those who are still uninsured in Missouri without the expansion. Schaefer said: “Anyone who lives in Columbia can get dental to chemotherapy at the FQHC, which is on Worley. The population generally is covered, just the question of who’s paying for it.”
FQHCs are federally qualified health centers.  These are health centers that get federal grants to help cover some of the cost of providing care for people who can't pay for it. The FQHC Schaefer is talking about is the Family Health Center on Worley StDr Andrew Quint is the medical director of the center.
“We can’t take in every single uninsured person that needs to be taken in,” Quint said. “There are limits. We can’t take care of the entire uninsured population.”   
He says the about 20 percent of the facility's patients are uninsured. The federal grant provided to the facility covers the difference between what the patient can afford to pay and the actual cost of their care. Patients pay on a sliding fee scale. Say a patient comes in for a visit that actually costs $100. After truthfully reporting their income, the patient might only have to pay $30 for the visit. The center then bills the rest of the cost to the federal grant money. 
This grant does not cover, by any means, the full range of services that we try to provide to people,” Quint saidIt's a limited grant that never goes up. It was determined at the time that we became a health center and haven't changed in a significant way.”
Quint said the demand for care far exceeds the center's capacity. If more people became enrolled in Medicaid, more of the grant would be available for others who would still be uninsured, Quint said.
Even if the Affordable Care Act is fully enacted the way Congress and the president intended, there's still going to be large numbers of uninsured people,” Quint said. 
Despite supporting the expansion, Quint would be the first to say that Medicaid is a broken system. He agrees with state Republicans –it needs some reform-- but says the reform is an ongoing process that shouldn’t have stopped the expansion.
“This is my seventeenth year at the center,” Quint said. “I’ve gone through many Medicaid fixes. Gov. Blunt fixed Medicaid several years ago. Every few years someone, quote, ‘fixes’ Medicaid. I’m not against trying to fix it, but I don’t think there’s a final fix.”
For now, both the Missouri House and Senate are planning to form interim committees to study Medicaid reforms. Senate president pro tempore Tom Dempsey and House Representative Jay Barnes are in charge of the committees. Neither has come out with an official timeline or a plan for the committees.

Missouri State Rep. Jeff Grisamore uses the death of his infant daughter to ask for campaign cash | Martin | The Pitch

Missouri State Rep. Jeff Grisamore uses the death of his infant daughter to ask for campaign cash | Martin | The Pitch

I live in Jeff Grisamore's district. We have spoken to Representative Grisamore on several occasions including the countless hours meeting with parents at Atlanta Bread (2x), our meeting place at Legacy Christian Church and at Dairy Queen. Our issues in the school district after his 2 years of serving as our Representative, have not changed. What is different in Lee's Summit at this time? We were told we would have round table discussions with the Governor, with the Superintendent and LSR7 staff that make Special Education decisions. We have never heard anything more about this. We were told that he was going to work on a pilot program here in Lee's Summit regarding Autism. We have heard nothing from Jeff until we went looking to him for answers. The families that are having problems in the school district want answers about where Jeff Grisamore is at helping them? What can he do for Special Education? 

Lee's Summit Lawmaker Who Threatened Resignation Changes His Mind | KCUR

Lee's Summit Lawmaker Who Threatened Resignation Changes His Mind | KCUR

Grisamore's possible resignation, combined with fellow Republican House Member Jason Smith's Smith's Possible election to Congress, could have resulted in Republicans losing their veto-proof majority in the Missouri House.  But Grisamore said his decision to stay in office had nothing to do with preserving the GOP supermajority in that chamber.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Grisamore decides against resignation after email threat last Friday - The Missouri Times

Grisamore decides against resignation after email threat last Friday - The Missouri Times


Grisamore decides against resignation after email threat last Friday

By Ashley Jost
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — After threatening via an email to House and Senate leadership that he intended to resign if there was no further action taken on two of his bills, Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee’s Summit, has decided to renege on his statement and continue the final year of his last legislative session.
Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee's Summit
Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee’s Summit
Grisamore sent the resignation threat to leaders from both chambers as well as a few other senators Friday morning after the two omnibus bills for the House Committee — which Grisamore chairs — on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities were not taken up by the Senate Government Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee.
Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, who chair’s the Senate committee, cancelled the Friday morning meeting, which ultimately killed the bills before session’s 6 p.m. Friday adjournment.
After communicating with House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, and Majority Floor Leader John Diehl, R-Town and Country, last Friday, Grisamore said he realized resigning wasn’t the best decision.
Both of the House leaders appealed to him staying. Grisamore said Jones also assured him that next year he would do “everything he could” to help get the the omnibus bills through.
Jones told The Missouri Times that Grisamore being upset over legislation is nothing “out of the ordinary” for the final days of session. Jones said it’s easy to become frustrated in either chamber when bills that someone put a lot of time into don’t move forward.
“I think he was just frustrated because he puts a lot of heart and soul into his legislation,” Jones said. “He’s into his last term like I am and really, I can understand his feelings.”
Grisamore described Friday’s events with the cancelled meeting and killed bill as being unexpected and causing, ultimately, a certain degree of panic.
“My frustration Friday peaked and I thought for a while it is not worth the time away from my [nine children] and other sacrifices to be here if we cannot get important legislation like this done to benefit Missouri’s neediest citizens, vulnerable seniors, at-risk women, children and families,” Grisamore said. “And especially individuals with physical, developmental and mental health disabilities.”

There was some criticism, even openly via Twitter, about the situation. Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, tweeted Tuesday that he “suggested that he might want to get the bill over to us sooner than [one] week left in session,” referring to the Senate.
Grisamore said while the most of the action taken the last three years on the omnibus bills has occurred during the final day of session, next year will be different. He said his hope is to pass it after pre-filing the bills, making it one of the first things the House acts on next year with the Speaker’s help.
“Despite the setback, it was still a good year for those with disabilities,” Grisamore said. “I serve on the Budget Committee and our Chairman, Rick Stream, whose son Eric has Down syndrome, led historic increases in funding for developmental disabilities community providers and some other disabilities legislation that came through our Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee was truly agreed.”
To contact Ashley Jost, email ashley@themissouritimes.com, or via Twitter at @ajost. 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Mo. Lawmaker Who Threatened To Resign Over Bills' Failure To Pass Changes His Mind | St. Louis Public Radio

Mo. Lawmaker Who Threatened To Resign Over Bills' Failure To Pass Changes His Mind | St. Louis Public Radio

Are we really surprised that he didn't resign?  Only those that believe his BS.  I'm not one of those that believe it just because he says it.  I have learned to do the opposite with him.


A Missouri lawmaker who threatened to resign unless one or both of his key bills survived the last day of the 2013 legislative session is staying put, even though both bills failed to make it out by Friday's deadline.
State Representative Jeff Grisamore (R, Lee's Summit) said his resignation threat was based on frustration with the Senate's inaction on the bills -- House Bill 717 would have provided funding for disabled children and House Bill 727 for disabled adults.  Both bills died when the Missouri Senate chose not to advance them on the final day of session.
"We don't need to be waiting and allowing such important bills that impact our most vulnerable citizens in Missouri, folks with disabilities and at-risk women and children and families, be put off until the last minute," Grisamore said.
Grisamore changed his mind after talking with House Speaker Tim Jones (R, Eureka) and Majority Floor Leader John Diehl (R, Town and Country).
"They assured me that they'll do everything they can to help us next year insure that the omnibus disability bill passes," Grisamore said.
Grisamore's possible resignation, combined with fellow House Member Jason Smith's(R, Salem) possible election to Congress, could have resulted in Republicans losing their veto-proof majority in the Missouri House.  But Grisamore said his decision to stay in office had nothing to do with preserving the GOP supermajority in that chamber.

Will He Really Quit

I believe that he will hold on to the only job that he has regardless of what his email says.  Not too many people will know that he made this threat and he will not stick to his word.  He just is using our families, once again, to make himself look good.  My opinion, of course.

“He expressed that this issue was of the utmost importance to him personally and professionally,” Parson said. He added that as far as the threat to resign, he’d “let the email speak for itself.”

Does it help?


It must determine if any additional state partnerships through nonfinancial interagency agreements are
necessary to enhance the employment potential of individuals with disabilities. The work group must focus on developing careers for the youth to prevent economic and social dependence on the resources of state and community agencies. 

Grisamore threatens resignation if omnibus isn't taken up by Senate - The Missouri Times

Grisamore threatens resignation if omnibus isn't taken up by Senate - The Missouri Times


Grisamore threatens resignation if omnibus isn’t taken up by Senate

By Ashley Jost
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — In an email to a few senators and House leadership this morning, Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee’s Summit, threatened to resign from the remaining year of his final House term.
Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee's Summit
Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee’s Summit
Grisamore’s email indicated that if House bills 717 and 727, or “at least SCS HCS HB 727” were not passed out of the Senate today and sent back to the House to be truly agreed, he would be resigning.
“If these bills — 717 & 727 — die in the Senate after the Disabilities Omnibus was vetoed last year, I see no reason to remain in office as I am unnecessarily being blocked from making a difference for our most vulnerable citizens, with my disabilities legislation being vetoed last year and unnecessarily being left to die in the Senate this year,” Grisamore said in the email.
HB717 is the omnibus package for children and family, and HB727 is the omnibus package for persons with disabilities. Grisamore is the chair of the Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities committee.
“My highest legislative priority is to advocate for Missouri’s neediest citizens-vulnerable seniors, at-risk women and children and especially individuals with physical, developmental and mental health disabilities,” Grisamore told The Missouri Times Friday.
The email came after the there was no action taken and the Government Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee meeting cancelled Friday morning on the two bills.
Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, the Chair for Government Accountability and Fiscal Oversight — the committee the bills would have been heard from this morning — said he was one of the multiple senators to receive the email.
“He expressed that this issue was of the utmost importance to him personally and professionally,” Parson said. He added that as far as the threat to resign, he’d “let the email speak for itself.”
Grisamore said his passion to fight for individuals with disabilities is driven by the death of his daughter, Rebekah, who died 10 years ago at 18 days old because of complications from Prader-Willi Syndrome.
“To have passed [House Bill] 555 — the first Disabilities Omnibus in Missouri State History — in 2011 at 5:55 p.m. on the last day of session was a historic advancement for individuals with disabilities,” Grisamore said. “Last year’s veto in [House Bill] 1900 was disappointing. We have an opportunity to still get [House Bill] 727 across the finish line. The House is ready to truly agree and finally pass it as soon as the Senate sends it to us.”
If Grisamore resigns and Rep. Jason Smith were to be elected to Congress, the Republicans could lose their historic supermajority and would be unable to override the governor’s vetoes without vote from the Democratic caucus.
To contact Ashley Jost, email ashley@themissouritimes.com, or via Twitter at @ajost.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

In Decade's Time, Childhood Disabilities Rise 16 Percent - Disability Scoop

In Decade's Time, Childhood Disabilities Rise 16 Percent - Disability Scoop


In Decade’s Time, Childhood Disabilities Rise 16 Percent

By 
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Significantly more children have disabilities today as compared to a decade ago, largely due to increased diagnosis of neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions, researchers say.
The prevalence of disability in children grew more than 16 percent in 10 years, according to findings presented Sunday at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, a gathering of four leading pediatric organizations held in Washington, D.C.
It’s unclear what’s behind the rise in disability prevalence, though greater diagnosis of autism could be at least partly responsible, said Amy Houtrow of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who is lead author of the study.
Researchers looked at data from the National Health Interview Survey — a poll of more than 100,000 parents of children up to age 17 conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — comparing responses from 2009-2010 to those collected in 2001-2002.
As part of the survey, parents were asked whether their children had any limitations and, if so, what type of condition their deficits were attributable to. Children who were reported to have a limitation were divided into three groups: physical disabilities, neurodevelopmental or mental health conditions and other.
Ultimately, researchers found that six million children had a disability in 2009-2010, an increase of one million over the previous sampling. At the same time, the prevalence of physical disabilities declined while neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions rose.
Most strikingly, the study found that the rate of neurodevelopmental disabilities nearly doubled for children under age 6.
While kids living in poverty had the highest rates of disability in both time periods studied, the largest increase in childhood disability rates was seen in kids from households with higher incomes.
“The survey did not break out autism, but we suspect that some of the increase in neurodevelopmental disabilities is due to the rising incidence or recognition of autism spectrum disorders,” said Houtrow, adding that more research is needed to fully assess what’s behind the growth in disability prevalence.