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Opinion: Parents Need The App Store Accountability Act

Wendy Weller — Mon, 19 May 2025 16:04:37 +0000

I’m a single parent of two children, one of which is in middle school. Balancing keeping my kids safe while also allowing them the freedom to grow, learn, and experience life on their own is a constant learning process. Especially for my youngest, who is exploring the internet and social media more and more.

Until recently, I’ve only had to worry about threats in their immediate environment – how they are being treated by classmates, what movies they are going to see at the theater, who they are going to meet in the park. Now, the ever-growing number of online apps that exist in my children’s lives creates threats that I cannot always anticipate, and the reality is that I can only do so much to keep my children safe.

Parental controls and limiting our kids’ screen time only work for so long. Every kid looks for a way around the rules – I know mine did. And, as any parent will tell you, children will only let themselves be contained so much before they actively push back. Unlimited access to the internet means children can find ways around parental locks or age restrictions published by individual app developers. Once those barriers are breached, parents lose oversight on what their kids are doing online. That is why parents need more powerful tools in our parental tool belts and why we need better partners in our mission to protect our kids.

As a parent, I’ve personally shut down the App Store altogether for my child. While this has been a temporary fix, I know that this is not a permanent solution, and I do want my child to be able to interact with their friends online in a healthy way, through apps, games and devices that I approve.

Luckily, Michigan Congressman John James and Utah Senator Mike Lee have come together to reintroduce legislation that gives parents control over what our kids can and can’t download on the app store and implements a standard process for age verification online.

Currently, children with web-connected devices have full access to app stores such as the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, and it is only after they have installed an app that they go through an age verification process, if the app has an age verification at all. The responsibility of creating age verifications is left entirely up to individual developers, and parents only have a say in what apps their children can access if they have physically accessed their child’s device and checked what apps are installed. Parents can only control the apps their children use through asking their children not to download certain apps or by deleting the app after their children have already accessed them, neither of which is a strong solution to stopping their children from accessing harmful content to begin with.

Under the App Store Accountability Act, instead of age verification being determined by individual app developers, it would happen through the app stores. First, app developers will have to put appropriate age ratings on all apps that they upload to popular app stores. App stores will then have to verify the ages of users and will be required to receive parents’ permission before allowing minors to download an app or make a purchase. This is a major win for parents seeking stronger tools in protecting their children’s online safety.

It is no longer enough to teach our kids about stranger danger in public, check in on what material they are consuming through books or television, and secure our small, physical environment against threats. Through the internet, our kids have access to the whole world and the world has access to them. I am grateful that we as parents may have the opportunity to truly secure our children’s safety online, and I hope our legislators continue to support legislation like the App Store Accountability Act to empower parents like me.

Wendy Weller

Mom of two, and a small business owner from St. Louis.

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Opinion: MU Health Care’s games are costing Missourians their health care access

Eileen Scrivner — Mon, 19 May 2025 15:53:16 +0000

Few things truly matter in life as much as your health. That’s why it’s so important that we do everything possible to preserve access to quality, affordable health care. Unfortunately, this access is being threatened not only in Columbia – but here in Jefferson City – by the University of Missouri (MU) Health Care system’s on-going battle with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

You’ve likely seen the headlines in recent months—MU Health Care’s contract with Anthem was coming up for renewal, and MU was demanding a massive increase in payment rates. In fact, MU’s proposed increase of 18% in the first year was more than five times the rate of inflation in the medical industry. The deadline for a new contract came and went, and now more than 90,000 Anthem patients are no longer in-network for MU Health Care (which includes Capital Region Medical Center).

This is a disaster for families with Anthem coverage who live in Jefferson City. Aside from Capital Region, there is only one other hospital patients can go to; in other words, MU Health Care’s games have severely limited the options available to Anthem patients.

All this, as MU Health Care have touted taking on one of the “largest and most ambitious projects” in the system’s history: the full integration with Capital Region Medical Center. You can’t help but wonder whether this $232 million expansion isn’t the reason MU Health Care wants to raise rates on Anthem members so drastically. Either way, a big rate increase would mean that employers and families would see bigger insurance premiums. Ultimately, price hikes for insurance companies always trickle down to consumers.

Meanwhile, MU Health Care’s track record has been disturbingly poor. Its Columbia facility has below-grade quality scores (Grade C). They have scored poorly on patient safety metrics. In fact, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) give the hospital a mere 2 out of 5 stars.

This is the way it always seems to go. Big hospital systems keep expanding, which gives them more leverage to demand exorbitant rate increases from insurance companies. But MU Health Care has gone too far, and now Missouri residents with Anthem insurance are the ones being made to suffer.

It’s time for the public to push back. I’ve heard from too many friends, neighbors, and colleagues who love their doctors at Capital Region but are being forced to switch because they are now out-of-network. MU Health Care needs to stop playing games with people’s health care access and work with Anthem on a deal that Missourians can afford.

Eileen Scrivner

Retired teacher and a community volunteer from Jefferson City

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This Week in Missouri Politics – May 18, 2025

The Missouri Times — Sun, 18 May 2025 16:00:23 +0000

Scott Faughn is joined by Representatives David Tyson, Bill Hardwick, Aaron Crossley, and Brian Seitz for an end of session review.

The post This Week in Missouri Politics – May 18, 2025 appeared first on The Missouri Times.

House Hour by Hour Thursday, May 15

The Missouri Times — Thu, 15 May 2025 15:58:21 +0000

During the last two weeks of the session, The Missouri Times will bring you hourly updates of floor activity for each chamber. Below is all the activity in the House from Thursday, May 15.

10:00 Hour

The House gavelled in shortly after 10:00 am.

The journal was approved.

Points of personal privilege.

Introduction of special guests.

Rep. Falkner moved for the adoption of SS#2 SCS HB 199, A.A..

11:00 Hour

Rep. Riley motioned for a PQ. The PQ passed 107-41.

SS#2 SCS HB 199, A.A. was adopted 136-16.

Rep. Falkner moved that SS#2 SCS HB 199 be third read and passed. The bill passed 134-16.

Rep. Hurlbert moved that SS SCS SB 133 be third read and passed. The bill passed 151-3.

Rep. Hinman moved that SCS SB 3 be third read and passed. The bill passed 131-18.

Rep. Keathley moved that HCS SS SB 221 be third read and passed. The HCS was not adopted. The bill was passed 120-20.

Rep. Diehl moved that SS SCS SB 271 be third read and passed. The bill passed 139-10-1.

12:00 Hour

Rep. Pollitt moved that HCS SS#2 SB 79 be third read and passed. The HCS was not adopted. Multiple members spoke on the bill. The bill passed 147-1.

Rep. McGaugh moved that HCS SB 2 be third read and passed. The HCS was not approved. The bill passed 151-0.

Rep. Casteel moved that SS#2 SB 145 be third read and passed. The bill passed 108-21-14.

1:00 Hour

Rep. Parked moved that HCS SS SCS SB 82 be third read and passed. The HCS was not adopted. Multiple members spoke on the bill. The bill was passed 123-16-1.

Rep. Sassman moved that HCS SS SCS SB 105 be third read and passed. The HCS was not adopted. Multiple members spoke on the bill. Rep. Riley motioned for a PQ. The motion passed 111-34.

Governor Kehoe was recognized on the dais.

SS SCS SB 105 was passed 124-19 .

Rep. Murphy moved that HCS SS SB 152 be third read and passed. The HCS was not adopted. Rep. Riley motioned for a PQ. The motion passed 99-43. The bill passed 94-47.

Announcements

The House stands adjourned until Thursday, May 29, 2025.

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Opinion: The Federal Government Should Repair Our Rural Healthcare Crisis – Not Make it Worse with Price Controls

Former Speaker Tim Jones — Wed, 14 May 2025 18:03:11 +0000

From Springfield to Hannibal, from Kansas City to St. Louis, and everywhere in between, Missourians are facing a silent crisis: a lack of access to quality healthcare.

Today, nearly every county in Missouri is experiencing a shortage of primary care providers. As federally-designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), this means that residents, especially in rural communities, are struggling to access care close to home. The shortage is made worse by a wave of physician retirements and high rates of burnout that are pushing many physicians to leave the workforce prematurely.

The common denominator in Missouri’s physician shortage? A hopelessly broken Medicare system, in which the federal government sets rates and undervalues private practice.

Over the past 20 years, physician payments under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) have fallen by 33% when adjusted for inflation. At the same time, the cost of running a practice has risen 60%, leaving physicians struggling to keep up with the rising cost of medical supplies, equipment, and overhead. We are asking physicians to do more – see more patients, work longer hours, and cope with more burnout – with less pay and fewer resources.

Unfortunately, this is what happens in countries that adopt socialized medicine schemes, and we are now seeing the consequences of artificially-low, government-set rates playing out in the U.S.

Independent physician practices have had to make difficult choices, including cutting staff or reducing the number of Medicare patients they see just to keep the lights on. While some may choose early retirement, other physicians feel compelled to leave private practice in favor of hospital-based settings. Between 2012 and 2022 the share of physicians in private practice fell from 60.1% to 46.7%. Meanwhile, the share of physicians working in hospitals as direct employees or contractors increased from 5.6% to 9.6% during that same time.

The impact is profound for small towns across Missouri, as these communities have long relied on trusted, local physicians who know their patients well and understand their needs. When those practices close or are absorbed into large health systems, this forces patients to travel farther for treatment. Further, hospital-based care comes at a higher cost and is not as transparent. To prove that point, the Show-Me Institute has found that the price of hospital services over the past decade has skyrocketed over 45%.

The crisis of health care access will not solve itself, especially since demand for care continues to increase. Chronic disease is on the rise, especially in the most rural parts of the country. Missouri’s rural residents have higher rates of cancer, diabetes, heart and kidney disease, – all leading causes of death. Yet, Missouri has fewer physicians (all specialties and primary care) per 100,000 citizens, than the U.S. as a whole.

So, how are we to reverse this trend and bring more physicians to high-need areas? To begin, Congress must reverse the 2.8% Medicare cut that went into effect at the beginning of this year, which is already straining doctors nationwide, nowhere more so than in rural communities.

To that end, lawmakers have introduced the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879), which would reverse this cut and provide a 2% payment update. This bipartisan bill will help stop the bleeding for rural independent practices, will strengthen the stability of Medicare, and most importantly will boost health care access for rural patients. It would be a solid first step towards necessary and needed long-term Medicare reform that values private practice, removes price controls, and reflects inflation.

I strongly urge the entire Missouri Congressional Delegation, House Republican Leadership, and all Congressmen and women who want to sincerely solve this crisis to support the passage of H.R. 879 to meet the growing demands of our state, and that of the entire nation. The health of all rural communities in the country desperately depends on it.

Former Speaker Tim Jones

Served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 20017-2015, and continues to be active in national, regional and local politics and public policy. He is the co-host of “The Tim Jones & Chris Arps Show” on the St. Louis based, NewsTalkSTL. He resides in Eureka.

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House Hour by Hour Wednesday, May 14

The Missouri Times — Wed, 14 May 2025 16:24:10 +0000

During the last two weeks of the session, The Missouri Times will bring you hourly updates of floor activity for each chamber. Below is all the activity in the House from Wednesday, May 14.

10:00 Hour

The House gavelled in shortly after 10:00am

The journal was approved.

Points of personal privilege.

Rep. Kelley moved for the adoption of CCR HCS SS SB 150, A.A.. The bill was adopted 147-2.

Rep. Kelley moved that CCR HCS SS SB 150, A.A. be third read and passed. The bill was passed 148-2.

11:00 Hour

Rep. Bandermann moved that SS SCS SBs 49 & 118 be third read and passed. Multiple members spoke on the bill.

12:00 Hour

The discussion on SS SCS SBs 49 & 118 continued.

SS SCS SBs 49 & 118 passed 85-57-5

1:00 Hour

Rep. Casteel moved that SS#2 SB 145 be third read and passed. Multiple members spoke on the bill. The bill was laid over.

The House will stand adjourned until Thursday, May 15, at 10:00am

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Senate Hour by Hour Wednesday, May 14

The Missouri Times — Wed, 14 May 2025 16:02:01 +0000

During the last two weeks of the session, The Missouri Times will bring you hourly updates of floor activity for each chamber. Below is all the activity in the Senate from Wednesday, May 14.

10:00 Hour

The Senate gaveled in

Prayer and Pledge

Roll Call

Senator Luetkemeyer waved the reading of the journal

Senator Brown (26) was recognized for a privileged motion on SB 61

Senator Beck inquired of Senator Williams

Senator Brown (26) withdrew his motion

11:00 Hour

Senator Carter was recognized for a privileged motion on SB 243

Senator McCreery inquired of Senator Carter

Senator McCreery inquired of Senator Roberts

12:00 Hour

Senator Moon offered an amendment

Senator Moon inquired of Senator Gregory (15)

Senator Carter withdrew her amendment

Senator Schnelting brought HJR 73 before the body

Senator Beck inquired of Senator Moon

Senator Beck inquired of Senator McCreery

Senator Beck inquired of Senator Williams

Senator Williams inquired of Senator Lewis

Senator Cierpiot noticed the absence of a quorum

Senator Cierpiot stood to talk about Missouri Right to Life

1:00

Senator Cierpiot inquired of Senator Bernskoetter

Senator Cierpiot inquired of Senator Crawford

Senator Cierpiot inquired of Senator Bean

Senator Cierpiot inquired of Senator Coleman

Senator Williams inquired of Senator Lewis

2:00 Hour

Senator Williams inquired of Senator Lewis

Senator Williams inquired of Senator Roberts

3:00 Hour

Senator Roberts inquired of Senator May

4:00 Hour

Senator Nurrenbern inquired of Senator Webber

Senator Nurrenbern noted the absence of a Quorum

Quorum established

Senator Nurrenbern inquired of Senator McCreery

Senator McCreery inquired of Senator Beck

Senator Beck withdrew his amendments.

Senator McCreery offered Senate Amendment 2 to HJR 73 and moved for its adoption.

Senator Lewis inquired of Senator McCreery

5:00 Hour

Senator McCreery requested a roll call vote on the amendment.

Senator Schnelting moved for the previous question. The motion passed 22-11.

HRJ 73 passed 21-1.

Amid shouting in the gallery, the gallery was cleared.

The gallery was reopened, with a threat to close it again if any more disruptions occurred.

Senator Schnelting moved for the previous question on the naming of the bill. The motion passed 21-12. The naming was passed 21-12

Senator Bernskoetter moved that HB 567 be third and passed. Senator Bernskoetter also moved the previous question on this bill. The motion passed 22-11

HB 567 passed 21-10.

The Senate adjourned until 12:00pm, Thursday, May 22

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Press Release: Remembering Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond

Press Release — Tue, 13 May 2025 23:59:02 +0000

It is with deep sadness that MPCA announces the passing of Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond, a resolute public servant and champion of healthcare access for underserved communities, on May 13, 2025. Senator Bond’s lifelong commitment to improving the lives of the people of Missouri and the nation was evident in his tireless work to expand access to primary care, oral health, and mental health services.

During his distinguished tenure in the U.S. Senate, Senator Bond was an enthusiastic advocate and leading voice for Community Health Centers (CHCs). These vital health centers, which serve those without access to essential healthcare, flourished under his leadership. Through his advocacy, CHCs saw groundbreaking funding increases in the late 1990s, which helped them expand and provide services to thousands of people who had been previously underserved. Senator Bond’s efforts led to a historic $60 million funding boost in 1997, followed by an even larger $100 million increase. These measures resulted in the most significant funding increases for CHCs in decades, ensuring that more individuals could receive the care they desperately needed.

In 2000, Senator Bond convinced then candidate for president, George W. Bush, to embrace CHCs as a presidential initiative if elected. George Bush visited Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Center, now known as Affinia Healthcare, in St. Louis on April 12, 2000, announcing that he would provide an additional $4billion for CHCs if he won the presidency. Bush won and through Kit Bond’s leadership, dozens of health care access points opened across rural Missouri.

Senator Bond’s commitment to the growth of CHCs in Missouri was impactful. When he retired in 2011, Missouri boasted 21 CHCs serving over 420,000 people, a marked increase from the 14 centers serving 190,000 individuals in 1999. Today, Missouri is home to 28 CHCs, providing essential healthcare to over 644,000 people, a third of whom are children. His efforts have touched the lives of countless residents in both urban and rural communities, leaving a lasting impact on the healthcare infrastructure of the state.

In recognition of his legacy, in 2009, MPCA’s Board of Directors established the Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Community Health Scholarship. This scholarship, which assists individuals pursuing careers in healthcare for underserved communities, stands as a testament to his unparalleled dedication to improving health access. The scholarship will continue to benefit future generations of healthcare professionals, ensuring that Senator Bond’s legacy lives on in the communities he worked so hard to improve.

His legacy as a tireless advocate for health care access will endure for generations to come.

Senator Bond’s devotion to his constituents and his unyielding belief in the power of community healthcare will forever be remembered.

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TWMP Column: Kit Bond was the best of us

Scott Faughn — Tue, 13 May 2025 22:05:30 +0000

Our state has seen some of the greatest political leaders in American history. From Senator Thomas Hart Benton, to Governor David Francis, to Congressman Gephardt, to Governor Lloyd Stark, to the great Senator Roy Blunt. Missouri can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any state in the quality of our greatest leaders.

However, after President Truman, one man stands above all the rest. Christopher S. “Kit” Bond.

You can find a litany of his accomplishments in his many obituaries published around the state, but when I think of Kit Bond I think of more than his resume.

He was a larger than life figure. Missouri ran through his veins. His every word, his every action, literally everything about him exuded a love for Missouri.

Kit Bond left such an indelible mark on this state and our politics that years after he left public office doing the right thing for the state even if it was hard, thinking long term, bringing Missourian’s tax dollars home to invest in Missourian’s communities, to this day, is an extension of the legacy Kit Bond.

He was the man who didn’t preen and peacock about what he was doing, he was the man who produced.

You can have all the Twitter populism you want, but you have to produce or none of it really matters.

Kit Bond produced.

You can be any place in this state from Caruthersville to Rock Port, from Pineville to Kahoka and you cannot drive more than a half hour in any direction without finding a bridge, a yard of water pipe, a runway, a mile of road, a sewage plant, or a facility at a college that Kit Bond didn’t have a role in building.

Kit Bond was more than a Governor or a Senator. His accomplishments were so vast, his impact was so immense that he became more the legacy of the love and dedication to Missouri that lives on more than a single man who no longer does.

That legacy lived on in his successor Roy Blunt. Imagine filling those shoes, imagine being entrusted to maintain and carry forth that legacy.

Senator Blunt did, and today you can see that same legacy continuing on this year when his successor Senator Schmitt brought home the latest fighter wing to Missouri.

Speaking of that legacy of putting Farmington over Fox News, putting Tarkio over Twitter, Innsbrook over Facebook. Kit Bond’s legacy continues on in this state, not by the loudest in the room, or the most obnoxious social media account, but by accomplishing real things for the people of the state of Missouri.

It was fitting that Senators Lincoln Hough and Justin Brown were on the Senate floor fighting for places in Missouri like the hospital in Salem and the crime lab in Poplar Bluff when the news of Kit’s passing broke.

They were on the senate floor continuing his legacy of working on the real things that improve the lives of real Missourians… the Kit Bond type things.

I have my own Kit Bond story. First, Highway 67 would still be a goat trail without Kit Bond and his amazing district representative, Tom Schulte. However, that was the type of thing Kit did so many times all over the state.

On a more personal note it was the fall of the first year after founding The Missouri Times that I was at an event with Senator Bond. We stepped off to the side and shared a drink, told a few jokes, and made a plan to meet later in the month.

Well, later that night I was emptying my jacket pockets and found a personal check from Kit Bond and in the memo he wrote subscription. The check was for far more than a subscription. I was so honored I hesitated to deposit it, but I’ve never forgotten it.

State Auditor, the 47th and 49th Governor of Missouri and United States Senator are all impressive titles, but to me Kit Bond was and now will forever be more than those titles.

His is a legacy that embodies putting Missouri over oneself, and above all, loving Missouri more than anything else.

Kit Bond was the best of us, and to this day inspires so many others carry his legacy forward.

Scott Faughn

Scott Faughn is the publisher of The Missouri Times, owner of the Clayton Times in Clayton; SEMO Times in Poplar Bluff; and host of the only statewide political television show, This Week in Missouri Politics.

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House Hour by Hour Tuesday, May 13

The Missouri Times — Tue, 13 May 2025 16:57:49 +0000

During the last two weeks of the session, The Missouri Times will bring you hourly updates of floor activity for each chamber. Below is all the activity in the House from Tuesday, May 13.

11:00 Hour

The House gavelled in shortly after 11:00am

The journal was approved.

Points of personal privilege.

Introduction of special guests.

Rep. Allen moved for the adoption of CCR HCS SS SCS SB 68, A.A.. The bill was adopted 135-7-1.

Rep. Allen moved that CCR HCS SS SCS SB 68, A.A. be third read and passed. The bill was passed 132-20.

Rep. Oehlerking moved for the adoption HCS SS SB 61.

Rep. Oehlerking moved for the adoption of House Amendment 1. Rep. Diehl moved for the adoption of House Amendment 1 to House Amendment 1. The amendment to the amendment was adopted.

Rep. Shields moved for the adoption of House Amendment 2. The amendment was adopted.

12:00 Hour

Rep. Schmidt moved for the adoption of House Amendment 3. The amendment was adopted.

The bill was adopted.

Rep. Oehlerking moved that HCS SS SB 61 be third read and passed. The bill passed 135-13.

Rep. Christ moved for the adoption of SS SCS SB 80. Rep. Christ moved for the adoption of House Amendment 1. The amendment was adopted.

Rep. Brown moved for the adoption of House Amendment 2. Multiple members from both parties spoke on the amendment at length.

1:00 Hour

Discussion about the adoption of House Amendment 2 to SS SCS SB 80 continued.

2:00 Hour

House Amendment 2 to SS SCS SB 80 was adopted 103-43

Rep. Christ moved that SS SCS SB 80 be third read and passed. The bill was passed 108-40.

Announcements.

The House stands adjourned until 10:00am, Wednesday, May 14.

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