BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: AMANDA JONES BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/12/2026 12:29 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. I live four doors down from a 33-year-old woman with profound special needs. She has been able to live in her home with round-the-clock care for several years. This neighbor doesn’t know me but I love saying hi to her when her caregivers occasionally stroll her wheelchair along the sidewalk.
I do not want to see any reduction in funding for SDS that will negatively affect my neighbor Grace Blackmon and other vulnerable Missourians. A reduction in funding for Self Directed Supports (or SDS) will harm our families, caregivers and communities. SDS is a vital lifeline for Missouri families raising special needs children and adults.
What we do for the least of these says a lot about who we are.
Thank you, Amanda Jones MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: AMY HILES BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/12/2026 8:42 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. We must protect and care for the most vulnerable. We must care. MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: AMY KNOX BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/12/2026 8:33 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Matthew 25:36, 40 (NIV): "...I was sick and you looked after me... Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: FREDDIE S THOMPKINS BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/12/2026 12:43 AM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Please do not discontinue support for assistance for handicapped people. Our grandson will suffer greatly without the assistance of the professional that has been with our grandson during his childhood. That support has been a lifeline throughout his childhood. The thought of ir being reduced or discontinued is heartbreaking. Please continue to assist in his growing up to become a successful and capable person.Please continue to support his efforts.Thank you. God Bless Freddie and Linda. Proud grandparents of Isaiah Thompkins Saint Louis Mo MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: GRACE JACOBS BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/12/2026 10:03 AM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Dear Honorable House Budget Committee members,
I am reaching out today in strong support of reinstating the House Bill 2010 funding detailed below. This funding has helped my family directly. My late uncle lived with schizophrenia for most of his life. When I was a kid, I remember my mom driving him to and from NAMI Missouri meetings in Joplin. Those meetings weren’t just “support groups.” They were a lifeline. A place where he wasn’t judged. A place where people understood what he was going through. And honestly... that community wasn’t just vital for him. It was vital for my mom and our family. She was raising three kids while also helping care for her brother with a debilitating mental illness. She would come home from work, make us all dinner, and then we would load up the van to pick Uncle Brett up from his NAMI meeting. Knowing he had somewhere stable, structured, and supportive to go made it possible for her to keep our family afloat. Now, because of funding cuts in the proposed Missouri and federal budgets, NAMI Missouri is losing major grant funding. That means fewer peer support groups, fewer educational programs, and fewer resources for families trying to hold everything together. When we cut mental health support, the problem doesn’t disappear. It shows up somewhere else—in emergency rooms, in jails, or inside homes where families are already stretched thin. This isn’t political for me. It’s personal. And families like mine will feel the impact. I pay taxes to this state so people like my uncle can have a chance at life. Take a way funding, and you are going to have an increased amount of unhoused people in ALL cities of the state. Thta will be the result of this bill passing.
I respectfully ask that you please consider reinstating $122,487 for Mental Health Adult Community Treatment in HB 2010 (line 10.130). For decades this funding has been competitively bid and helped to provide the following services:
Parent Ombudsman and Education Services – Amount struck from Governor’s FY27 Budget Recommendations: $43,005 (CRD.GV.167) Mental Health Training Services for Healthcare Professionals – Amount struck from Governor’s FY27 Budget Recommendations: $19,482 (CRD.GV.168) Family to Family Program – Amount struck from Governor’s FY27 Budget Recommendations: $60,000 (CRD.GV.169) Thank you very much for your consideration. MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: JILL CRESON BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/12/2026 6:38 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. This should not be a financial decision. Judgments should be made with hearts. Cutting care for the defenseless is unforgivable. Please treat these situations as if it were your own family in need. MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: MELANIE ELLINGTON-COX BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/12/2026 11:57 PM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. Families with loved ones with severe disabilities need more support, not less. Our state should be the example of what is the best of our nation. The show me state should show how much they care for their most vulnerable by not cutting the budgets for self directed services and make access easier not more difficult on those helping and not harder because having a child or loved one with severe disabilities or extra needs is hard enough. Please consider being the solution to what helps not what hurts. MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: SARAH BERRY BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/6/2026 9:04 AM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. I submit testimony in opposition to HB 2007 as drafted because it authorizes high-dollar transfers and discretionary spending without the basic accountability conditions taxpayers expect: transparent awards, measurable outcomes, independent review, and enforceable clawbacks.
1) If money is public, the process must be public. This bill doesn’t guarantee that. HB 2007 moves large sums through economic development, tourism, and incentive structures.
Yet the bill text does not consistently require public, itemized reporting of: who receives funds, the contract/grant terms, deliverables and timelines, performance benchmarks, and whether money is recovered when promises fail.
Amendment request: Add a requirement that any grant/transfer/incentive paid out under this bill must be posted online within 30 days with: recipient name, amount, purpose, contract link, performance metrics, and audit contact.
2) “Flexibility” language is a loophole unless it’s tracked in real time.
HB 2007 repeatedly allows shifting between spending categories and between sections. Flexibility becomes a problem when it enables agencies to relabel spending after the fact and the public only finds out later—if ever.
Amendment request: Require monthly public reporting whenever flex authority is used: amounts moved, line items affected, justification, and program impact.
3) Development subsidies need clawbacks, not optimism.
Economic development spending and transfers can be legitimate—but only if Missouri protects itself when projects miss targets. Without clawbacks and standardized performance reporting, the state invites politically convenient spending with taxpayer-backed downside.
Amendment request: Add enforceable clawbacks and uniform metrics for all development-linked spending: jobs created/retained, wage standards, residency, timelines, and repayment triggers for nonperformance.
4) Appropriations should not be written like riddles.
Any appropriation that effectively singles out a recipient through hyper-specific qualifiers (population brackets, niche descriptors, etc.) undermines trust and invites the question: why isn’t this competitive and transparent?
Amendment request: Convert any such language into competitive grants with published scoring criteria and conflict-of-interest rules.
5) Bottom line: this bill spends real money but doesn’t require real accountability.
If the Committee wants public confidence, attach the guardrails now—before funds move, contracts are signed, and taxpayers are stuck paying for failures.
Vote NO on HB 2007 unless amended to include public award postings, monthly flex reporting, standardized performance metrics, and clawbacks.
Failure to attach reporting, performance metrics, and clawback provisions to large-scale appropriations exposes the state, agencies, and downstream recipients to audit findings, litigation risk, and taxpayer liability.
Footnotes / Legal References Missouri Constitution, Article IV, Section 28 Requires that appropriations be made for specific purposes and limits executive discretion to spend outside the purposes authorized by the General Assembly. Courts have repeatedly treated this section as a guardrail against vague or open-ended appropriations. Missouri Constitution, Article III, Section 36 Prohibits the granting of public money to private entities without a public purpose and without adequate safeguards. Economic development spending must demonstrate measurable public benefit, not speculative or political benefit. Missouri Constitution, Article III, Section 37 Bars special laws where a general law can be made applicable. Appropriations that effectively single out recipients through narrow descriptors or population brackets raise special-law concerns when not competitively awarded. State ex rel. Nixon v. American Tobacco Co., 34 S.W.3d 122 (Mo. banc 2000) Confirms that public funds must be spent in a manner consistent with constitutional limitations and legislative intent, and that courts will scrutinize public expenditures lacking clear accountability structures. Missouri State Auditor Authority — §§ 29.200–29.230, RSMo Establishes the State Auditor’s role in reviewing the use of public funds and underscores the necessity of clear documentation, traceability, and auditability when appropriating and transferring taxpayer dollars. Missouri Sunshine Law — Chapter 610, RSMo Declares that public policy favors openness and transparency in government expenditures. Appropriations lacking mandatory public reporting frustrate the purpose of Chapter 610 even when not facially exempt. Taxpayer Standing Doctrine (Missouri) Missouri courts recognize taxpayer standing to challenge unlawful expenditures of public funds, particularly where constitutional spending limits or public-purpose requirements are implicated. General Accountability Principle (GAO & State Audit Standards) While not binding law, generally accepted government auditing standards emphasize measurable outcomes, clawbacks, and public disclosure as best practices when public money is distributed through grants or incentives. MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESS APPEARANCE FORM
BILL NUMBER: DATE: HB 2007 2/12/2026 COMMITTEE: Budget TESTIFYING: IN SUPPORT OF IN OPPOSITION TO FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
WITNESS NAME INDIVIDUAL: WITNESS NAME: PHONE NUMBER: SHELLY PALMER BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION NAME: TITLE:
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EMAIL: ATTENDANCE: SUBMIT DATE: Written 2/11/2026 11:50 AM THE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM IS PUBLIC RECORD UNDER CHAPTER 610, RSMo. My name is Shelly Palmer and I am a mother of 2 adult children with disabitlites. I wanted to say how terrible it is to reduce the pay and funding for the SDS program. The real loser in all of this is the client, which is the disabled person themselves. Their family helping them to become more independent and getting a fair wage to do it is of the utmost importance. Family is a more trustworty source for these positions and are lightyears cheaper than paying licensed professionals that would cost the govt. way more money in the long run. We placed our daughter in a care home and the stranger hired to be here caretake stole her bank card and all of her money! Bought herself groceries and beer. She also took another di