First health insurance exchange hearing held in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCUR) - A Missouri Senate committee tasked with drafting recommendations for a state health exchange held the first of at least three statewide hearings in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Exchanges are new organizations under the federal health law, intended to provide a more organized and competitive market for buying health insurance.

But yesterday’s hearing wrestled with the very notion of developing one in Missouri.

The eight-member committee focused the majority of the nearly four and a half hour, packed hearing, on asking the state’s Insurance Director and Attorney General about the legalities of an exchange, what kind of role the federal government would have in one, and how an exchange would actually work.

Senate committee member Jane Cunningham worried that creating an exchange would weaken Missouri’s and other state’s legal challenges to the federal health law, and its requirement that people buy health insurance. But Attorney General Chris Koster said, "I don’t think that however the legislature decides to move will affect the outcome of the case."

Koster also said if an exchange does not require people to buy coverage in it, then it doesn’t appear to violate proposition C – that’s the legislation that prohibits insurance mandates in the state. At least two others hearings are scheduled next month for Columbia and Jefferson City.

Elana Gordon, KCUR

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Humane Society takes custody of 70 dogs

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - The Humane Society of Missouri has officially taken custody of more than 70 dogs from a breeder in southwest Missouri. 
Attorney General Chris Koster filed suit against the breeder, Linda Brisco, in June. The dogs, which arrived in St. Louis Thursday, are the first seized under Missouri’s new Canine Cruelty Prevention Act.

Koster says he will prosecute Brisco for the new crime of canine cruelty.

“But we are very pleased that the defendant in question was willing to sign a consent judgment to give the Humane Society the authority to bring these dogs to provide them with the kind of veterinary care, the safe haven that they deserve,” Koster said.

Koster says Brisco was not providing adequate food and water for the dogs, and would routinely use gunshots as a method of euthanasia.

There are currently 12 active investigations into violations of the new law, and Koster says a lawsuit should be filed in one of them next week.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

Photo: Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster (left) with rescued puppies.

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Koster files suit against Joplin landlord for price gouging

JOPLIN, MO (KMSU) - The Missouri Attorney General’s office continues to go after those trying to take advantage of victims of the tornado that tore through Joplin on May 22nd.

Attorney General Chris Koster says his office has filed suit in the Jasper County Circuit Court against a Joplin landlord for price gouging and other violations in the aftermath of the tornado.

Thirteen renters at two apartment complexes owned by David Box Jr. complained that their rent was being increased and that they were given only three days to either pay the difference or be evicted.

Koster says it appears the price increases were directly related to the storm...

"The primary reason that we're here today has to do with significant price increases that appear to us by all indications to have no bearing in his cost structure and are completely related to the storm, and, as long as the governor has the city of Joplin under an emergency declaration, that is considered price gouging by the legislature and by the governor's office," Koster said.

Koster says his office has received around 260 complaints following the Joplin tornado.

Michele Skalicky, KSMU

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Koster settles with Smith & Associates Home Care

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster reached an agreement Wednesday with Smith & Associates Home Care, an in-home personal care service company in Hayti.

The settlement resolves allegations that Smith & Associates failed to ensure services were properly delivered to its Medicaid clients.

Chrystal Abernathy, a Smith & Associates employee, plead guilty in May to not providing services to a client. That client happened to be her ex-mother-in-law.

The company will pay the state seventy-four-thousand dollars in restitution, damages, and investigation costs.

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Meat processor charged with adding cow heart to ground beef

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has filed a lawsuit against a St. Louis-area meat processor for using improper additives and animal products.

Brothers Michael and Thomas Kolish run John’s Butcher Shoppee in Festus and Overland Park. The lawsuit alleges that the brothers used cow heart and soy in ground beef and sausage products.

There are no adverse health effects of consuming cow heart. However, it is a considered a cheaper additive than muscle meat.

State and federal laws prohibit products labeled "ground beef" from containing heart muscle.

The addition of soy can present health hazards for those with soy allergies.

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Racial disparities continue among motorists

A new report by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster reveals that black motorists are still more likely to be pulled over than white motorists.

Overall, African Americans were 65 to 70 percent more likely to be pulled over than white motorists.

Hispanics were less likely to be pulled over than white drivers, but more likely to be searched. Blacks were also more likely to be searched than Caucasians.

White motorists had the highest contraband hit rate among all groups.

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Koster reaches settlement with Bankruptcy First Term Lender

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster reached a settlement with the liquidating trustee, Bankruptcy First Term Lenders Liquidating Trust.

The trustee handled the bankruptcy of Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery.

Koster said following the bankruptcy, former customers of the stores from across the country complained that a third-party collection agent reported negative credit information to credit bureaus without giving the consumers notice or an opportunity to challenge the information. He said consumers had no idea they had credit damage until they were denied credit or were only approved for limited credit, and many denied owing any money at all.

Koster said his office helped negotiate a nationwide settlement with the liquidating trustee that requires the negative information be removed from consumers’ credit reports.

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Judge Limbaugh rules in favor of Army Corps of Engineers

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - A federal judge gave the Army Corps of Engineers the go ahead to destroy a levee in rural Missouri. The man-made breach would ease flooding on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers

Judge Steven Limbaugh ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers has legal authority to breach the Birds Point levee, just south of the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a temporary restraining order against the Corps this week to block the detonation. Koster said in a press release that he would like to see the Eighth District Court review the decision.

Corps spokesman Jim Pogue says there is still no decision on whether or not to go ahead with the plan.

"If the leadership decides that we need to move forward, then that decision would be made at that time," Pogue said.

The levee was designed as an "emergency button" that can be used in times of extremely high river levels. The breach will flood 130,000 acres of farmland.An estimated 200 people live in the affected area.

Flood levels are reaching 60 feet at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers at Cairo, Illinois where some of the most severe flooding is taking place.

Judson Childs is Cairo’s mayor.

“There have been lives at stake, and I can say I think the citizens of Cairo will be very proud that he made that decision. It was just the right thing to do,” Childs said.

Childs has twice issued voluntary evacuations this week.

The Missouri Attorney General’s office has hinted that it may seek an appeal.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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While judge considers levee breach, Olive Branch threatened by rising water

OLIVE BRANCH, IL (KRCU) - As judge Stephen Limbaugh mulls a decision on the Army Corps of Engineer’s authority to open a hole in the Birds Point levee, residents in the small town of Olive Branch fill sandbags and try to salvage what’s left above water. 

Many homes and businesses in Olive Branch are already submerged. The Alexander County community has been under a boil water order for a week. Electricity regularly cuts on and off.

Olive Branch is threatened by water from both the Ohio and Mississippi River. About twenty people - young and old - gather at one home on Route 3, desperately filling sandbags to protect one of the most threatened houses.

Some express animosity towards Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster for blocking the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to blow the Birds Creek Levee in order to relieve pressure on Cairo and other towns in Alexander County. One woman implores the Attorney General to put on his boots, cross the river, and help fill sandbags.

Everybody offers thanks to the high school students from Goreville and Meridian who volunteered the previous day.

At Olive Branch’s only store, a handwritten sign is posted on the window. It reads in big letters “We Need Help to Sand Bag on Cypress Drive. We are about to get water in our homes.”

The story’s manager, Kelsi Phillips, says that lunch meat is a popular item right now, along with paper towels, bleach, water, and toilet paper.

But her own house is a lost cause.

“It looks like an ocean. My house looks like a swamp. It’s underwater. I was boating in sandbags. I had to get everything to my mom and dad’s. I can’t find any clothes. It’s miserable,” Phillips said.

The river is not expected to crest until next week. Until then, residents will continue to fight off the advancing the water.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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Koster files suit against Army Corps of Engineers

Missouri’s attorney general is filing suit in federal court to prevent the U-S Army Corps of Engineers from detonating a levee.

The Army Corps was to decide Tuesday afternoon whether it would blow the Birds Point levee near New Madrid.

The Associated Press is reporting the Corps has chosen to delay that decision.

Attorney General Chris Koster says he wants a federal court to review the Corps’ proposal to detonate the levee before it can move forward.

"There are no good options at this point, I understand that, but before we create a manmade detonation that is going flood 130,000 acres of Missouri farmland, we want to make sure the Corps can legitimize in federal court its decision," Koster said.

The Corps believes breaking the levee will take a significant amount of water out of the river and relieve upstream pressure on the levee protecting the Illinois town of Cairo.

The Corps plans to meet again today to discuss how to move forward.

Resident of Cairo were advised to flee the city yesterday.

Maria Altman, St. Louis Public Radio

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Domestic violence victim speaks on state Capitol lawn

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - A victim of domestic violence brought her story to the state Capitol lawn to urge lawmakers to strengthen domestic violence laws.

For Carol Cromer, she says life with her husband was a nightmare.

Before his suicide, he stalked her every move.

He sent her threatening messages.

He even set fire to her car and to her home.

"It had been five very long years of living in constant fear. It had consumed my life so long, that I was unsure of what it would be like to live life normally again," Cromer said.

She says keeping him behind bars was nearly impossible as he would place bond everytime.

"These individuals are incapable of changing their own lives," she said. "They do not value their own lives. Therefore expecting them to value someone else's life is incomprehensible and ignores the possiblity of a potentially fatal outcome."

Earlier in the week, the Missouri House referred a bill to committee that would ban people found guilty of a domestic violence crime from possesing guns.

Attorney General Chris Koster says he is pushing for comprehensive legislation to strengthen domestic violence laws.

Elizabeth Hagedorn, Missouri Digital News

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Koster brings charges against Caruthersville woman

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has brought Medicaid fraud charges against a Caruthersville woman.

Koster brought four felony charges against professionally licensed counselor Kristi M. Smith. She is charged with four counts of Medicare fraud, one count of forgery, and one count of stealing by deceit, according to a release from the Attorney General’s office.

Missouri’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit revealed that Smith had billed the state for over 32 hundred dollars in 2009 and 2010.

Smith could receive up to 7 years for each of the six violations.

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Koster files amicus brief that questions individual mandate

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed an amicus brief in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that questions the Constitutionality of the Obama Administration’s Health Care law.

Koster joined the state of Florida in questioning the individual mandate.

Missouri voters passed a referendum last year that prohibits the federal government from requiring people to purchase health insurance.

Republican state Senator Jason Crowell reacted favorably to Koster’s decision.

“He is a Democrat. He is our state’s chief law enforcement officer. And he’s putting his duties as chief law enforcement officer over his affiliation as a Democrat and I applaud him,” Crowell said.

Crowell also recognizes that Koster’s amicus brief will have little to no impact on the court’s decision. An amicus brief is a so-called ‘friend of the court’ statement that outlines the issuer’s thoughts on a case. Therefore, Missouri did not join Florida’s lawsuit, as both house of Missouri’s legislature encouraged Koster to do through non-binding resolutions.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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Chris Koster undecided on health care lawsuit

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster says he should decide within the next two weeks whether or not to join a multi-state lawsuit against last year’s overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

"We continue to work on that. As you know, there are a lot of moving pieces in this and so the research continues," Koster said.

Both the state House and Senate have passed non-binding resolutions asking Koster to follow the wishes of Missouri residents and challenge the constitutionality of the law. A symbolic statewide ballot measure to reject the overhaul passed in August with more than 70 percent of the vote.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

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Missouri AG unveils plan to counter domestic violence

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has unveiled his plans to strengthen domestic violence laws in the state.

The 12 recommendations include moving prosecution of repeat abusers to state, rather than municipal courts and giving judges more options for orders of protection.

The changes are budget-neutral, says Colleen Coble , the CEO of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. And she says they may help relieve the financial burden on social service agencies.

“If we expand the types of protection, we expand those offenses that are arrestable, we will actually have I believe a lesser demand on the need for emergency safe shelter, so we can meet our goal which is, you get to stay safely in your home,” Coble said.

Koster drafted the recommendations based on a series of task force meetings last year. If the General Assembly approves Koster’s proposals, it would be the first update to the laws in 30 years.
Rachel Lippman, St. Louis Public Radio

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