State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Manchester, speaks during debate on March 1, 2023, in the Missouri House (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).

House Democrats on Wednesday made an unsuccessful push to override Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s veto of $2.5 million in funding for oversight of the state’s nursing homes, with all but eight Republicans voting to sustain the governor’s action.

It is the second year in a row Parson has vetoed funding for nursing home oversight. 

State Rep. Deb Lavender, a Democrat from Manchester, led the effort, arguing that the money would make Missouri’s nursing home residents safer.

“There are complaints that are going unanswered,” Lavender said, adding that one-third of Missouri’s nursing homes have been found to have serious deficiencies.

The additional funding would have helped the state’s long-term care ombudsman program hire more staff to advocate for nursing home residents.

The ombudsman program is composed of staff and volunteers tasked with helping protect and advocate for the interests of nursing home residents. They often serve as liaisons between a resident and the facility when issues arise, investigating and resolving complaints. Ombudsmen can help ensure residents are able to go to the bathroom, take their medications and be fed on time, for instance.

Missouri has consistently had one of the lowest nursing home staffing levels in the country which can contribute to residents not receiving proper care. 

The motion to override Parson’s veto failed by a vote of 56 for and 81 against. All Democrats present voted for the override. All but eight Republicans voted against it. 

“We just wanted to bring voice to the lack of being able to care for our seniors,” Lavender said during a press conference after the vote, adding that it was “no surprise” that a Democrat asking to overrule the Republican governor failed. 

In the scope of a $50 billion state budget, Lavender said, the governor’s decision to strip out the $2.5 million “doesn’t make sense to me.”

“This is twice we put it in,” she said, “and the governor has taken it back out.” 

The state budget signed by Gov. Parson in June left $1.9 billion unspent. 

Parson wrote to lawmakers this summer explaining his veto  that “while this supports the important goal of helping seniors throughout the state, there is insufficient funding from the appropriated source to support this item.” 

Last year, his veto letter noted a general need to ensure a balanced budget and the “financial stability of Missouri.”

Republican state Rep Jim Kalberloh of St. Clair said during the floor debate he was voting against the override to respect that there is “a reason why they did this,” referring to the governor’s office’s veto, but that he supports the funding and wants the legislature to try again next year to pass it.

“We spend a lot of money on a lot of things,” Kalberloh said, “If we can’t protect our elderly and are disabled, then we can think about where our money is going.”

Democratic state Rep. Doug Clemens, of St. Louis responded to Kalberloh, saying: “It’s our job, our responsibility to reflect the needs of our constituency,” rather than the will of the governor. Clemens said he has senior constituents who would benefit from the ombudsman program having more resources.

“And I don’t think it’s worthwhile to let somebody wait another year for us to get our act together,” he said. “…This is a paltry sum compared to the rest of our budget.”

In a report from AARP last year, Missouri ranked 48th in the country for nursing home quality and 46th in nursing home staff levels and turnover.

The most recent federal staffing data, updated in July, showed Missouri residents receive 3.3 hours of daily care, on average. That’s below the federal standard going into effect in the next few years, and was second only to Texas for the worst in the country.

Lenny Jones, state director of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Missouri, which represents nursing home staff, told The Independent in an interview the cut is a disservice to residents and workers, and many of the issues arise from low staffing.

“There should be more eyes on what’s going on in nursing homes, not less,” he said.“So the more opportunities for family members, for residents, to be able to contact the ombudsman and issues around that is important, because that’s really, in many cases, the only voice.” 

Marjorie Moore, executive director of VOYCE St. Louis, an advocacy group for long-term care residents, said she was “really disappointed” in the vote Wednesday but “gratified” that more legislators and Missourians broadly are becoming aware of the need for the program and issues in nursing homes.

“We’re calling on whoever may be governor next year and next year’s legislators to continue this fight and get this funding in,” she said, “because this is an issue that’s not going away in any way shape or form.”

Missouri will have an increasing population of older adults, she said, and “we’re only going to have more people who are going to need those advocates.”

Moore said, despite the state’s failure to bring resources to the level needed, people should know the program is still operating statewide and residents in every nursing home throughout Missouri can contact them with concerns.