ASHCROFT CHARGES LEGISLATIVE FAILURE AT END OF SESSION

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft declared Friday that the 1992 session of the General Assembly "began with great promise" but ended with major failures.

In particular, the governor was incensed that a drug bill he regarded as a top priority, died on the last day of the session for the third straight year. Failure to pass the bill led the governor to call for reforms in the legislative branch and promise he would follow through with plans to work against legislators who had helped stall the drug bill.

"It is apparent that major reforms are needed - reforms such as a smaller House of Representatives, fewer committees, a prohibition against adding unrelated amendments of bills and a crackdown on the power and influence of lobbyists. Before the next legislative session, I believe the public should clean house of politicians who gain, retain and abuse their power to obstruct the best business of the state," Ashcroft declared.

After passing a fuel tax increase early in the session, Ashcroft said "lawmakers failed to pass successfully important bills dealing with illegal drugs, improving the state's delivery of services to children and rewriting the outdated school funding formula.

"The process deteriorated in the last week, became disorganized, lacking in direction and discipline."

Ashcroft criticized action by the House to tack on 32 amendments to the drug bill on Thursday, and for its failure to act on the bill much earlier in the session.

"The Legislature gets an I for incomplete, and the House Democratic leadership gets a flat F for failure when it comes to getting tough on drugs," he said.

Ashcroft praised lawmakers for passing a gas tax increase and other initiatives to boost economic development, improve health care, and reform the state's workers compensation laws.

"I feel like we missed a bunch of lay ups here," said Ashcroft at a post session press conference in his Capitol office. "The drug bill was full of measures that had passed each house at least twice before. You would think that was the kind of chip shot that anybody should be able to make.

"Absent that, we hit some three pointers that people said we couldn't do. People said we couldn't pass the gas tax bill, people said we would get anywhere near workers comp reform ... the clean air act people pronounced it dead on arrival ... health care reform was not supposed to get anywhere. We hit some tough shots here."

Discussing the workers compensation issue, the governor said the bill defines the issue of compensation for mental injury claims, encourages the establishment of worker-safety programs and allows insurers to offer at a reduced rate, workers compensation policies with a deductible plan.

Ashcroft said he hopes the next General Assembly will be able to build on the framework laid out this year.

The governor said he was pleased that lawmakers defeated efforts toward universal health care and instead approved measures that could contain costs in the health care system.

"By steering clear of socialized health care in favor of marketable solutions, Missouri is positioned to become a recognized leader in accessible and affordable health care," Ashcroft declared.

"Health care reforms include the establishment of a small employer group health program to guarantee access to health insurance for small businesses; standardized billings and penalties for fraudulent insurance claims; disclosure of the cost of hospital care and the medical results achieved; expanded Medicaid managed care system to increase affordability of health care to low income Missourians; continuation of the hospital donation program; and restrictions on the use and sale of tobacco."

In reviewing the fuel tax bill, the governor pointed out, "as ground is broken and highways dedicated in the coming years, we can look back on 1992 with satisfaction knowing that work here in Jefferson City paved the way for a bright future of economic growth and prosperity in Missouri."

Even though legislators failed to pass a bill to reorganize childrens services, Ashcroft said he would issue an executive order combining children's and youth services into a division within the Department of Social Services.

Overall, Ashcroft said he was pleased with the budget process and the fact that appropriations bills are in line with revenue estimates.

"Even in a tight budget year, we were able to provide substantial improvements in funding for education, children's services, health care and the environment," Ashcroft said.

In Fiscal 1993, local schools will get a $150 million increase in spending from state and federal funds above the current level, while higher education will see a rise in funding of at least $29 million.

Asked how active he would be in opposing legislators who had stalled the drug bill, the governor declined to name names.

"I will have to make judgments about my participation in campaigns as campaigns unfold," said Ashcroft.

"The campaign is a long way from over - I'll be active in the campaign."

He did refuse to blame Republican Sens. Tom McCarthy of Chesterfield and Emery Melton of Cassville, for keeping the drug bill from coming to a vote by threatening to filibuster. They opposed the wording of one of the bill's unrelated amendments.

Ashcroft said the House leadership is primarily to blame because "conditions were allowed to develop" that led to the drug bill's demise.

Some legislators criticized Ashcroft for not being active enough to get a drug bill and other priority legislation passed. But the governor said he worked hard to get a bill and he was not at fault for its failure.

"I made an effort that was most likely to be productive," he said.

This was Ashcroft's eighth and final legislative session. The state constitution prohibits governors from serving more than two terms.