Speaker Jetton: "It's Difficult to Cut A Deal With the Senate"

Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton has made it clear that his number one priority for the 2007 session is cutting taxes on social security benefits, a plan that would cost between $100-$116 million dollars in revenue annually.

But earlier this week at a press conference at the Capitol, I also got to question Jetton on a host of other issues, including Medicaid and working with a Republican-controlled Senate. Below is the first part of our exchange.

Catanese - Are there any other tax proposals you are looking at and will take seriously?
Jetton - Probably two things, the next one that's really high on our list is cutting taxes on military pensions. We have a number of bases, including Fort Leonard Wood, which I believe is the 5th largest in America now, these type of people, they have health care benefits, they don't commit crimes, they spend their money, these are the type of people we want to attract to Missouri. So if we can get rid of taxing military pensions, I believe you'd see thousands more military retirees staying and coming to our state and those are the kind of people that help our economy and increase our revenue, and help our community.

Catanese - Have you spoken with the Senate about your tax cuts, and are they embracing them?
Jetton - I've spoken with the Governor and he seems very open and wants to move in some type of direction on this front. I've spoken with Senator Gibbons about it and he seemed to open to definitely discussing it and looking at it in his body as well.

Catanese - Last year, I remember you said one of your top priorities was MAWD. It didn't happen because of the whistleblower protection portion. Have you been able to work out a deal with the Senate on bringing back a revised MAWD program?
Jetton - That'll be one of the first bills we probably will deal with in the House, to take that thing, pass it. As you remember, last year I think we got that over to the Senate on March 17th, and we're hoping to beat that this year.

Catanese - So what's going to be in the final bill? Will there be a anti-fraud component?
Jetton - I think that'll be a separate bill, I mean those are two different issues. We'll have our MAWD program we're going to send to the Senate and then we'll be dealing with our own fraud bill. Dr. Schaaf will lead the charge on that.

Catanese - How many people be restored in that MAWD bill?
Jetton - I'm going to have to refer you to Rep. Portwood on that. He's our expert and he handled that bill last year for us and he will be doing that again this year.

Catanese - Isn't that part of the problem is that you have to work more with the Senate this year, because a lot of these proposals died on that last day when there couldn't be an agreement, and now you've had a year . . .
Jetton - Well, the dilemma is, who do you go talk to in the Senate? You've got 34 Senators, each has the ability to kill a bill if they so choose, so it's difficult to go and cut a deal with the Senate. What you have to do is get a bill over there and work through the system and get it to conference and then, usually the Senators that have concerns come to the forefront and then you sit down with those folks and see if you can work out the compromise to get a final bill passed that everyone can support when it get backs up in both floors chambers.

Catanese - In talking with physicians in Springfield, they say no Medicaid reform should go forth without raising reimbursement rates. Is that going to be part of the overall Medicaid package?
Jetton - From our preliminary briefings from the Governor, that is going to be part of it and that's something we feel strongly about. I live in a rural area with very little access to healthcare and one of the problems is that doctors reimbursements are so low they just can't afford to do it. And one of the problems with the fraud bill is they don't get paid much and now they are open to liability. So in any kind of Medicaid reform, probably, we're going to up the reimbursement rate to those doctors, so they have more incentive to see the patients and improve access in all areas of the state.

Catanese - Can you give an example of how you might reward someone for healthy behavior. Who would administrate that?
Jetton - I'd have to refer you to the Governor. We just haven't gotten to the details of the specifics of how those types of things are going to work.

Catanese - Is that something you support?
Jetton - I think it's a great concept and a great way to move and encourage folks to live a healthy lifestyle.