MattBlunt.com - Governor Matt Blunt

For the third time, Governor Blunt delivered his annual State of the State Address to discuss the progress Missourians have made in the last year and to share his vision for the future. Three important aspects he focused on were healthcare reform, support for education, and tax relief for hardworking Missourians.

A New Healthcare System

Missouri's old Medicaid system was bankrupting our state and, more importantly, failing Missourians who really needed help the most. Gov. Blunt outlined his new plan for Missouri, called MO HealthNet. MO HealthNet will expand access, improve quality of health, and increase choice for those who need it most. While the old Medicaid system focused on sickness, the new MO HealthNet will emphasize prevention and wellness. For the first time in our state's history, every Missourian participating in MO HealthNet will have access to primary and preventative care through Health Care Homes. Health Care Homes will help to create doctor-patient relationships, improve the health of patients, and reduce the need for more expensive medical treatment.

MO HealthNet will focus on helping Missourians improve their health and increase their quality of life. Preventative care, like regular check-ups, will help patients and their doctors monitor health and develop a plan of care.

The new system will reward providers for positive results instead of just paying providers for treatments.

Reducing the Uninsured

The Governor also shared ways we can dramatically reduce the number of uninsured Missourians and has committed $20 million to launch the initiative. His plan includes efforts to: Combine federal, state, public, and private resources to lower the cost of insurance.

Offer incentives to employers who provide quality health insurance, like cutting the franchise tax for those who invest in the health of their workers.

Improve our laws so Missourians can take their insurance policies with them if they change jobs.

Pool the purchasing power for the uninsured to help them purchase health insurance at the lowest possible cost.

Allow employers and employees to pay insurance premiums with tax-free dollars.

Public Education

Gov. Blunt remains committed to improving Missouri's colleges and universities. He is calling for greater accountability in higher education. Gov. Blunt's budget increases higher education funding by nearly $40 million and adds $20 million for student scholarships.

To control college costs and help families plan for their students' education, Gov. Blunt has proposed a rule that no tuition increase can exceed the rate of inflation.

The Governor's Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative will provide another $25 million for student scholarships, which will increase the total for needs-based scholarships from $27.5 million to $72.5 million.

The Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative will provide needed funds for construction projects on campuses across the state as well as $60 million for Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Relief for Hardworking Taxpayers

Missourians responded to the Governor's pro-jobs, pro-growth policies, creating more than 53,000 new jobs since 2005 and a strong economic climate that has led to a significant budget surplus. Gov. Blunt believes that this surplus belongs to the people.

Gov. Blunt is joining the Speaker of the House Rod Jetton in supporting an end to cuts in Social Security through taxing the benefits of the seniors who earned them.

The Governor is helping Missouri families be better prepared for the future by raising the deduction for long-term care insurance from 50 to 100 percent.

To increase the number of insured Missourians, Gov. Blunt recommends cutting the franchise tax for employers who provide health insurance for their workers.

Moving Missouri Forward

Under Gov. Blunt's leadership, Missouri has made tremendous progress, and the Governor's vision for the future will continue that progress in a new and better direction.

The Quality Jobs Act has created more than 12,000 family-supporting jobs that offer health insurance, and Gov. Blunt has proposed to expand the program by 100 percent to give Missouri workers even more opportunities. As Missouri's most important industry, the Governor is supporting agriculture by making renewable fuels a priority and fully funding the biodiesel and ethanol incentive funds.

As the first pro-life Governor since John Ashcroft, Gov. Blunt has taken serious and successful steps to reduce the number of abortions in Missouri. He has recommended an added $200,000 for the Alternatives to Abortion program to guide and support women facing unexpected pregnancies. The Governor is protecting our Second Amendment rights by supporting legislation allowing Missourians to protect themselves in their own homes and ensuring that the government cannot seize firearms from law-abiding citizens during a declared emergency.

Gov. Blunt is protecting families by cracking down on crime through doubled funding for the Cyber Crime Grant Program that protects children from online predators. He also supports legislation mandating the death penalty for criminals who murder law enforcement officers.