Ladies and gentlemen, the practical reality of your right wingnut republican controlled Missouri General Assembly:

Missouri bill would cut access to welfare benefits

By JASON HANCOCK

The Star’s Jefferson City correspondent

03/18/2015 5:31 PM

….Of the roughly 73,000 Missourians receiving TANF benefits in February, two-thirds were children…

House Communications ‏@MOHOUSECOMM

SB 24 (Nonmedical Public Assistance) third read and passed by #MOHouse by a vote of 115-44.

5:17 PM – 18 Mar 2015 5:17 PM – 18 Mar 2015

An excerpt from the bill:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE SUBSTITUTE NO. 2 FOR

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 24

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[….]

(5) Beginning January 1, 2016, the life-time limit for temporary assistance for needy families shall be thirty months. The life-time limit shall not apply to the exceptions set forth in 42 U.S.C. Section 608(a)(7), including but not limited to:

(a) Any assistance provided with respect to and during the time in which the individual was a minor child, provided that the minor child was not the head of a household or married to the head of a household; and

(b) Any family to which the state has granted an exemption for reasons of hardship or if the family includes an individual who has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty, provided that the average monthly number of such families in a fiscal year shall not exceed twenty percent of the average monthly number of families to which temporary assistance for needy families is provided during the fiscal year or the immediately preceding fiscal year.

[….]

[emphasis in original]

“…provided that the minor child was not the head of a household or married to the head of a household…”

“…Any family to which the state has granted an exemption for reasons of hardship or if the family includes an individual who has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty, provided that the average monthly number of such families in a fiscal year shall not exceed twenty percent of the average monthly number of families to which temporary assistance for needy families is provided during the fiscal year or the immediately preceding fiscal year….”

Think about those provisions for a second. Shall not exceed twenty percent? Arbitrarily afflicting the afflicted.

And another provision:

[….]

208.067. 1. Of the moneys received by the state under the federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant during each fiscal year, the department of social services shall, consistent with federal law and subject to appropriation, set aside a minimum of:

(1) Two percent of such moneys to fund the alternatives to abortion services program under section 188.325 and the alternatives to abortion public awareness program under section 188.335. The department shall give preference to contracting with not-for- profit entities that promote one or more of the four purposes established by Congress under 42 U.S.C. Section 601 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996….

[….]

[emphasis in original]

Think about that for a second. The next logical step was written by Jonathan Swift.

Members of the Democratic minority tried:

Rep. Stacey Newman ‏@staceynewman

I applaud my Dem members who stood w me over 2 1/2 hrs wo being able to speak on behalf of the poorest of Missourians. @jeremylafaver #moleg 5:26 PM – 18 Mar 2015

Jeremy LaFaver ‏@jeremylafaver

Stood at a mic for 2.5 hours to try to amend the latest “we hate poor people” bill. Debate was cut off before I was allowed to offer amdt. 5:24 PM – 18 Mar 2015

Because all those lazy children need to get off their butts and find jobs.