Funding for public events could depend on COVID-19 requirements

CAROLINE ELIK

Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — A provision that would prevent Missouri from funding public events if they required negative COVID-19 tests or vaccinations could be costly for veterans' homes and other long-term care facilities, critics said Tuesday.

House bills dealing with state agencies' budgets contain a provision that would prevent any public department from using state money to fund general admission events that require attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide proof of a negative test. The provision was sponsored by Rep. Chris Sander, R-Lone Jack.

"This doesn’t legislate having an event or not, or having a vaccine requirement or any testing requirement or inquiry,” Sander said.

On Tuesday, the House debated the provision as part of the budget bill dealing with the Department of Public Safety, which includes the Missouri Veterans Commission. Rep. Betsy Fogle, D-Springfield, argued that Sander's proposal would put veterans' homes and nursing homes in danger of losing funding. She offered an amendment that would remove the provision from the bill, but it failed.

If the budget proposal passes, long-term care facilities that host public events such as bingo or trivia nights will have to pay for the events out-of-pocket or pay money back to the state if requiring those in attendance to have a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination.

"Telling veterans' homes, nursing homes, long-term care facilities that they can and can't have vaccine mandates ... I just think that that's a really slippery slope," Fogle said.

Because the requirement would apply to all state departments, it could also affect institutions such as public schools, universities and other state entities if it remains in budget bills passed by the legislature. After the House passes its version of the bills, they will move to the Senate for consideration.