JEFFERSON CITY
- Professor Harris
Mirkin of the University of Missouri-Kansas City flunked
another test in the Missouri Senate on Thursday.
Taking a break from debating
public school funding and the level of state subsidies for
nursing homes, senators sent a message that, like House members
early this month, they don't like pedophilia.
The Senate voted 19-12 to cut
$100,000 from the University of Missouri budget because of
articles Mirkin has published over the last three years
on sexual relations between adults and children.
The cut was proposed by Sen.
John Loudon, a St. Louis County Republican, who called the
articles a "perverse and dangerous attempt to make our
children prey."
He said this was "not
some Berkeley professor. It's someone from the heartland"
using the state's flagship university to promote disgusting
views, Loudon said.
Sen. Ken Jacob, a Columbia
Democrat, said Loudon had misconstrued Mirkin's writing. Mirkin
seemed to be writing that pedophilia historically has been
acceptable in certain cultures, including ancient Greece and
Rome.
"Fallen empires,"
Loudon interjected.
Jacob said Mirkin was
far from promoting pedophilia. Sen. Harry Wiggins, a Kansas City
Democrat, said he didn't agree with Mirkin's conclusions,
but it was an issue for the university's Board of Curators, not
for the legislature.
Only one Republican -- Sen.
Roseann Bentley of Springfield -- voted against the funding cut.
Two Democrats -- Sens. Ted House of St. Charles and Steven Stoll
of Festus -- voted in favor.
The Senate later concluded work on the state's operating
budget for fiscal year 2003. They made few changes in the $17.7
billion spending plan approved by the Appropriations Committee.
The budget now goes to conference committees to resolve
differences with the House, whose spending plan totaled $18.3
billion.
The Senate increased funds for state aid to public schools by
$100 million, less than half as much as requested by Gov. Bob
Holden. The House budget boosted school spending by $175
million. It tried to increase funding by $50 million more, but
the Senate rejected that suggestion, 22-10.
Two senators tried to boost state subsidies for nursing
homes. Jacob proposed increasing nursing home payments from
$11.6 million to $48 million. Sen. David Klarich, a St. Louis
County Republican, then offered an amendment to increase the
subsidy to $63 million. He said the subsidies had dropped by
$102 million from last year at the same time nursing homes were
undergoing an unfair amount of scrutiny from state inspectors.
Sen. Wayne Goode, a St. Louis County Democrat, scoffed at
Jacob's suggestion that nursing homes were under too much
scrutiny. He said they had received $60 million as a one-time
subsidy two years ago. Then they were given a $120 million
handout last year with no requirement that the money be spent on
patient care, he said.
Goode said much of that money was used to pay bonuses to
executives and for basic expenses, including rent.
"Not a heck of a lot of that money went into hands-on
care," he said. "Now you have $60 million for next
year that is not connected in any (confirmable) way to the
quality of care."
Sen. John Russell, the Lebanon Republican who leads the
Appropriations Committee, said the state simply couldn't afford
the increase.
"This would cost $63 million," Russell said.
"Do you know how many things we would have to undo to get
even close to this?...There is no way the Senate ought to be
dealing with these issues in this way."
After a break to discuss the proposals with Senate leaders,
Klarich and Jacob withdrew their amendments.
To reach Kit Wagar,
Jefferson City correspondent, call (816) 234-4440 or send
e-mail to kwagar@kcstar.com.
