Greetings, My Fellow Missourians

The state recently took an important step forward in its efforts to bring broadband internet access to the nearly 1 million Missourians who do not have it. Gov. Mike Parson signed two pieces of legislation into law that will extend the Missouri Broadband Program through 2027. (HB 1768 and HB 2120)

“Now more than ever, access to high-speed broadband is critical to Missouri’s infrastructure,” said Parson. He added that the bills will “help us continue to bring the best possible broadband programs and services to all Missourians, especially to those in rural areas of the state.”

The Missouri Broadband Grant Program, which was created to help providers, communities, counties, and regions invest in broadband infrastructure for unserved and underserved areas, was set to expire on August 28 of next year. The two bills approved by the General Assembly and signed by the governor will extend the program an additional six years to June 30, 2027.

HB 1768 will also enable the Department of Economic Development to legally seek to have any funds that would otherwise be returned to the federal government to be retained in Missouri and awarded to other eligible qualified Missouri broadband providers. The bill also allows community and neighborhood improvement districts to partner with broadband providers to construct or improve facilities to provide service to the unserved and underserved.

Unemployment

The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ (DOLIR’s), Division of Employment Security (DES) reports that it has processed over $3.4 billion in unemployment benefit payments to more than 490,000 unemployed Missourians since the beginning of the pandemic in March. In the last few months, the DES saw a 254% increase in initial claims compared to all the initial claims it processed in 2019.

To handle the historic number of claims, the DES utilized 300+ staff from all their program areas, other DOLIR divisions, nine other Missouri state agencies and outside call center vendor help. It also hired both temporary and full-time staff to assist citizens in processing claims. While UInteract, the unemployment claims online filing system, has overall been reliably operating in response to the historical claims volume, there have been instances of system downtime to increase capacity in order to more effectively deliver benefits under the three new federal programs created under the CARES Act.

“Despite DES’ own best efforts to serve Missourians during this time of historic and record-breaking call volumes with staff from the existing state workforce and temporary hiring, we know that more resources are needed. It is our highest goal to help Missourians who are frustrated that their calls are not being answered as quickly as we would like, especially those whose unemployment claims are still pending after many weeks,” said DOLIR Director Anna Hui.

“Every claim that awaits an eligibility determination is an individual facing uncertainty on the next step of how to pay for groceries, rent and other bills,” stated Hui. “This is why we are engaging the help of Ernst and Young, whose additional manpower, perspectives, expertise, and experiences will help the state meet citizens’ needs by processing claims and answering calls, all the while analyzing our existing unemployment program processes so that together we can improve service delivery to meet current and future needs. We look forward to adding these additional resources to support those in the state workforce who have been working tirelessly to serve Missourians during this historic time.”

Ernst and Young staffing and expertise will be adding to ongoing efforts by the DES to improve and enhance process and system operations. This includes enhanced reporting to pinpoint claim issues in order to improve timely resolution, as well as a review of the web-based application system to make it more user-friendly and easier to navigate.

“With these additional resources onboard, we are better positioned to meet citizens’ needs and improve flexibility in our processes so that we can better adapt to future federal and state changes to the unemployment program,” concluded Hui. “We are now operating in a time of rapid and constant change but our dedicated state employees stand ready to meet those challenges. With the extra help of our contract partners, we will be able to complete our mission even faster and more efficiently.”

Upcoming events: Mark your calendars for the 100 Mile Yard Sale! This year it will be held on Sept. 4th and 5th. For more information and updates, please visit the Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/MOHwy54YardSale.

Interim hours: Now that Session is over for 2020, I will be back in District full time. If you need any assistance my Legislative Assistant Amy Helton will be happy to help you Monday-Thursday.

It is my honor to serve the constituents of District 125. If you ever have questions, concerns, or input, please feel free to contact me any time at (573) 751-4065.

YOUR District 125 Capitol office is 413B, and YOU are always welcome.

If you would like to be added to the e-mail list to receive our Capitol Reports, you may e-mail me at warren.love@house.mo.gov or call the Capitol office at (573) 751-4065 and speak with my Legislative Assistant.