Senators Norma Champion, R-Greene County, and Pat Dougherty, D-St. Louis prefiled foster care reform bills just one week after an audit of the foster care system exposed potential dangers in the system.
Sen. Pat Dougherty, D-St. Louis City, added that Democrats had a string of bad luck with all the controversial bills -- guns, abortion, worker's compensation -- coming at once.
The sponsor of the Senate bill -- Sen. Pat Dougherty. D-St. Louis -- said that kids needed basic protection and the state had the responsibility to provide minimum standards for health, safety and fire protection.
With only a little more than a month left in the legislative session, Senator Pat Dougherty fights to get a children's welfare bill heard. Elizabeth Gill has the story.
JEFFERSON CITY - Senator Pat Dougherty (D-St. Louis) is sponsoring a bill that would require the state's license-exempt religious organizations to comply with safety standards. The bill is stalled in committee.
As senators debated a $177 million dollar cut, Democratic Senator Pat Dougherty fought to keep a program for kids that hit hard times transitioning out of foster care.
JEFFERSON CITY - During floor debates on the budget, Senator Pat Dougherty (D-St. Louis) fought for funding to save a program that helps kids coming out of foster care.
Democrats on the committee, with the exception of St. Louis County Sen. Wayne Goode, voted against the major budget bills. Sen. Pat Dougherty, D-St. Louis City, said the proposed budget does not meet the needs of Missourians.
But Sen. Pat Dougherty, D-St. Louis City, who has sponsored and is sponsoring legislation that requires insurers to pay for cancer tests, treatments, and trials, noted that because of the unpredictable nature of illnesses, people aren't always able to predict which policies will fit their needs.
The legislation would target employees who don't treat the elderly patients with the care they need. But it would also protect the employees who report violations of sub-standard care. Negligent and abusive nursing home workers could be fined up to ten thouand dollars and penalized with a misdemeanor or felony. Bill co-sponsor and St. Louis City area Senator Pat Dougherty says keeping the elderly in mind is important, and so is holding workers accountable.
The bill would protect senior citizens from nursing home employees who abuse and neglect them. Employees who are found treating the patients poorly would be fined and penalized. But, employees who report violations would be protected. The bill's co-sponsor and St. Louis area Senator Pat Dougherty says this is a way to remind nursing home workers what their job is.
The legislation requires the Department of Health to list results from recent inspections of Missouri nursing homes. The inspections, both good and bad, would be posted on the department's web-site for all to see. Bill co-sponsor and St.Louis City Senator Pat Dougherty says it's time that those who give the elderly sub-standard care are held responsible.
Sen. Pat Dougherty, D-St. Louis City, said most of the changes will be policy but some, like the creation of an ombudsman, would be good to have in statute.