REP. KASTEN DISAPPOINTED BY FAILURE OF WELFARE REFORM EFFORT

State Rep. Mary Kasten says she is disappointed that the Missouri House rejected her amendment that would have ended the incentive for people on welfare to have additional children to receive increased AFDC payments.

The proposal was originally introduced by Kasten as a separate bill, but was offered as an amendment to a broad welfare reform package considered by the full House last week.

Her proposal failed 84-65.

But while Kasten is disappointed that her amendment failed, she was successful in adding an amendment that will likely lead to more Community Caring Councils around the state, similar to a group she helped organize in Cape Girardeau County several years ago.

The caring councils will promote cooperation between agencies within counties that deal with children, youth and families, and are designed to eliminate duplication to make resources go farther.

Kasten's amendment that was defeated would have stopped giving cash AFDC payments for any additional child born after a family was on AFDC. However, further welfare benefits, such as medical care and food assistance, would still have been given.

"I'm really disappointed that this was defeated," said Kasten. "I don't know what it was due to, but I feel like some people have lost contact with the folks back home. There is a lot of support for this step toward welfare reform."

She said the bill contains a number of provisions that are designed to help people get off welfare and in jobs.

The Cape Girardeau Republican maintained the most important part of the concept is the message it sent: that families on welfare need to be responsible for their actions.

"The message needs to go out that we need to prevent pregnancy, not terminate it; and people need to be taken to task for bringing children into the world they can't pay for," said Kasten.

A similar bill is still alive in the Senate, and Kasten is hoping it will make it through the legislative process.

Senate President James Mathewson, D-Sedalia, is sponsoring the bill in the other chamber.

Kasten's successful amendment would require county commissions to appoint people to serve on caring councils, unless there is already one functioning in the county.

"This is just an effort to get people to coordinate and cooperate with agencies and religious groups on a community level," explained Kasten. "We have a lot of flexibility built into it, because we don't want to destroy what has been done already."

She added, "My main thesis is that people can do a better job in their own communities if they know what is needed. Providing services to children and families works a lot better if it is done at the local levels. Encouraging coordination is the whole objective of my amendment."