There is nothing members of the Missouri House, particularly Republicans, like to talk about more than what they call our country's "entitlement" culture.
When lawmakers talk about entitlements, they're usually referring to social welfare programs, such as food stamps or Medicaid. In other words, our nation's safety net.
That safety net has been under attack by Republicans because they believe that some of the people receiving some of the "entitlements" have become too accustomed to expecting taxpayer money. Hence, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill last year that allows welfare recipients to face drug tests to receive or continue receiving benefits. The assumption is, of course, that some people receiving entitlements are gaming the system.
So when, we wonder, will the Missouri House tackle the entitlements it could do the most to affect — its own?
This week, House Majority Floor Leader Tim Jones, R-Eureka, bragged that House leaders were saving the taxpayers thousands of dollars by holding technical sessions on Thursdays early in the session. Those are the sessions in which not much business is held, and only a couple of House members need to be in the chamber to pound the gavel and, in effect, keep the lights on.
They're needed because not enough bills have made their way through the committee hearing process to have full debate yet. But keeping the House in session, as compared to simply adjourning a day early, helps keep the process flowing. Bills can be referred to committees or move their way onto the calendar, and messages can be received from the governor's office or the Senate.
But the savings claimed by Mr. Jones don't really exist if lawmakers decide to claim their "entitlement."
That would be the $104 per diem they are paid for expenses such as meals and lodging while in Jefferson City. (The rate went up from $98 in October.)
Lawmakers should not be begrudged their per diems, even if most of them receive so many free meals while in the state's capital city that the money mostly ends up in their pockets.
The question here is whether there is really much savings when the House goes into technical session.
There would be, except for this: Most House members, Democrats and Republicans, check in with the clerk to claim their per diems for the Thursday technical sessions, even though there are few committee meetings, and then most representatives simply head home.
On Thursday, for instance, 117 House members signed in for their per diems. That means the taxpayers did save $4,784 from those 46 members who didn't claim their entitlement. But most of those 117 House members weren't actually needed for ongoing business in the Capitol.
Savings? Yes. But not much. There was a time when Missouri lawmakers actually worked full weeks. These days, not so much.
If Mr. Jones really wanted to save taxpayers dollars, he'd support one of the bills that has been filed this year that would reduce the size of the House. Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, proposes the House go to 101 members. Rep. Linda Black, D-Bonne Terre, suggests 120 members.
Either would be an improvement. Such bills have been filed each of the last several years, but they go nowhere, because when it comes to entitlements, Missouri lawmakers want to cut everybody's but their own.
