Medicaid protesters descend on Capitol

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Hundreds of angry advocates for the disabled descended on the state Capitol Wednesday, with a few temporarily chaining themselves to a House chamber door to protest cuts to Missouri's Medicaid health care program for the poor.

The protest occurred a day after Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation authorizing tighter eligibility standards and reduced benefits for the Medicaid program. It also coincided with Senate passage Wednesday of a budget that would implement many of those cuts.

The rally got underway just as the Senate passed Missouri's proposed $19.2 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. The budget would make some -- but not all -- of the Medicaid cuts authorized in separate legislation. The Senate budget must be reconciled with a House version passed earlier. Legislators have until May 6 to send a final budget to the governor.

Blunt has proposed to eliminate Medicaid coverage for about 100,000 of Missouri's 1 million Medicaid recipients. The cuts primarily would affect low-income parents, seniors and the disabled.

Participants in the annual Disability Rights Day marched around the Capitol carrying signs with slogans such as "Am I Governor Blunt's Waste?" They then moved inside, where eight activists chained their wheelchairs to a door of the third-floor House chamber.

The chained protesters chanted "We want Blunt," but the governor did not meet with them. They also presented a list of demands for Blunt that included restoring the Medicaid cuts and giving disability advocates a spot on Blunt's commission to reorganize government.

Capitol police used bolt cutters to unchain the protesters, who continued their sit-in for a couple more hours before voluntarily leaving.

At one point, about 100 other protesters crowded around a Senate committee room while Blunt was meeting there with the Senate Republican caucus. The protesters yelled "We Won't Go Away" but didn't notice as Blunt left through a back door. Blunt declined to comment to a reporter as several police officers hurriedly escorted him away. The protesters dispersed soon afterward.

Blunt spokesman Spence Jackson said the Medicaid cuts are necessary to balance the budget.

"We are doing the very best we can with the very limited resources our state has to meet its obligation to those on social welfare, children who need a good education and citizens who want safe roads and bridges to travel on," Jackson said.

Among other things, the legislation signed Tuesday by Blunt eliminated a program that allows disabled Missourians who otherwise earn too much to qualify for Medicaid to keep their health care benefits as long as they work. It also lowered the amount of money the disabled could earn to qualify for Medicaid.