Heating bills top agenda for lawmakers

~ The Blunt administration and the legislature have decided to restore the Utilicare fund.

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and leaders in both houses of the state legislature are making heating-bill relief one of their top priorities in the upcoming legislative session.

When the session begins Wednesday, legislators will immediately take action on reinstituting the Utilicare Fund -- a fund to help low-income Missouri residents pay for winter heating costs -- through passing a supplemental appropriations bill for $6.1 million.

The fund assists those making less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level with payments of up to $600 to energy suppliers for the winter season.

Utilicare was last funded in 2001, but with the strain of high heating prices this winter the Blunt administration and lawmakers decided the time had come to restore the fund. Legislative leaders say the measure has broad bipartisan support.

Passing the appropriation quickly is extremely important since high fuel prices are affecting Missourians now, said state Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau.

"Unless we get the money there early it won't do any good," he said.

State Rep. Nathan Cooper, R-Cape Girardeau, also supports the appropriation.

With heating fuel prices 30 to 40 percent higher this winter than last, already established relief funds are beginning to run out less than halfway through the winter season.

The East Missouri Action Agency, which distributes energy assistance to low-income residents in Southeast Missouri, will be the local entity assigned to distribute the funds.

Since Oct. 1 the agency has given assistance to 2,087 households through the Energy Crisis Intervention Program. The agencies provided similar assistance to 894 households throughout the entire winter last year.

Fred Moreno, a fixed-income senior living in Cape Girardeau, has already been helped through EMAA funds. He received $167 for January and February, enough to pay for his heating costs. Without the funds, Moreno said his financial situation would qualify as an emergency.

But there are many more like Moreno who still need assistance.

The agency reports that some counties in its service area have already run out of assistance funds while others will likely run out within the week. Lawmakers see that immediate need, said House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill.

"Gas prices are getting very high, and heating bills are high," said Jetton. "Cities that do have assistance are getting low and running out."

While the $6.1 million will help by serving at least 10,000 households, EMAA executive director Bill Bunch said it may still not be enough.

"On the face, $6.1 million sounds like a lot of money, but ... Missouri has already gone through something like $16 million and we're not even in the cold weather yet," said Bunch. "We're not going to turn it down, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to what we really need."

Jetton said the funding could increase beyond $6.1 million before the winter is through. The legislature could reassess the need later if the funds aren't enough and possibly appropriate more.

Robinson said Utilicare shouldn't tax the budget too much since the state anticipates much of the cost to be offset by increased tax revenues from energy sales.

Blunt also supported amendments to the state Public Service Commission's cold weather rule to provide more lenient utility reconnection terms, prohibit late fees and suspend deposit requirements for low-income customers. At the start of November the governor also asked the American Petroleum Institute to donate petroleum profits to help pay heating costs. As of Friday the governor's office had received no response.

Jetton said the relief is most important for seniors on fixed budgets. Jetton said he's found that many seniors don't get proper nutrition, and high heating costs put them in even more danger as they take away from funds they can budget for food and other necessities.

"When you add the high cost of fuel, some seniors are really struggling," Jetton said.

msanders@semissourian.com

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