Debate raged this week at our State Capitol about the proper role of government in the areas of public health and safety. Clearly, we want and expect safe food and safe water. Clearly, we want and expect available medical care and standards for medical practice. The debate gets heated, though, on just how deeply government should get involved in our health and safety. Legislators are currently debating two issues which affect health insurance for kids, employers, and farmers -- should the government provide health care system that most people say they want? People do clearly say they want schools and neighborhoods free from drugs -- and we did get that done, as I will share with you.

House Bill 1412 would turn the state employee insurance plan into basically three separate insurance plans administered by the state. One pool would be a state plan to insure small employers and farmers, the other a state plan to insure interested local governments. Unfortunately, the state employee plan, as it stands now with no changes, is embroiled in lawsuit and is losing money ... fast. While some hold this plan out as simply "another insurance option" for businesses and farmers, others point out that adding people to a collapsing system under the guise of remedying a social need is simply irresponsible.

One thing to remember about this argument and the argument over insuring kids is that having insurance is NOT indicative of whether or not you can get health care. Government helps make CARE available to all through county health clinics, doctors and hospitals, and other mans. The system we have may not always be the most efficient, but it does leave health care choice with the consumer. If we move toward a plan like House Bill 1412, we will be making the first step toward a "Single Payor System" -- (government-run health care). After all, if we let the state run the insurance for all these group,s then what groups, over time, are going to be left to sustain the private health system of consumer choice?

I support alternate plans such as simply allowing businesses, farmers, and others to pool together to achieve large-number buying power to drive a better deal in health insurance. We can give tax deductions to employers and farmers who provide insurance to workers and to individuals who responsibly go out and buy their own coverage. Similarly, if we want to help parents get their kids insured, we should give them refundable tax credits for the purchase of insurance for kids. We must allow individuals to take responsibility for themselves and their families. Instead, House Bill 1774 seeks to use taxpayer dollars to give "free" Medicaid (government-run) health coverage to all Missouri children in families of 300 percent of poverty ($48,000 annuals for a family of four). Again, with government running all this health care, what's left for private consumer choice?

We do know government should be doing its job for immediate public safety by cracking down on the drug trade -- methamphetamine in particular. We passed a bill (House Bill 1147, et al) which increases drug penalties and decreases thresholds of drug possession for punishment. It creates drug courts to allow courts to handle more drug cases and it requires assistance and treatment for certain offenders. A drug hotline is also established where you should call if you have a drug tip: (888) 823-METH.

If you have a comment or thought on these or any issues, please feel free to contact me.

David Schwb is State Represenative of the 157th District