What revenue and cost effects did the fiscal note summary for Sara Baker’s Missouri petition 20-R001 describe?

Plain-English summary

On July 22, 2019, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt approved the legal content and form of a fiscal note summary for Sara Baker’s petition (20-R001). The letter identifies the petition by sponsor and number; it does not describe the underlying bill or report any later ballot outcome. Official opinion.

The approved summary distinguishes two revenue sources: "Revenues from state sources may decrease by at least $4.9 million annually" and "federal Medicaid revenues may decrease by an unknown amount, up to $7.2 billion annually." It also says the Public Defender’s Office anticipates increased costs of an unknown amount to defend women’s medical actions after conception, and local governments anticipate a significant negative impact. The letter does not explain why those figures were estimated or what later happened to the petition.

What this means for you

Fiscal researchers. The $4.9 million figure concerns revenues from state sources. The separate federal Medicaid figure is an unknown possible decrease with a stated upper bound of $7.2 billion annually. The letter does not call either figure an expected exact loss.

Petition readers. The AG approved the summary’s legal content and form. The letter says its review "does not examine the fairness or sufficiency of the estimated fiscal impact" and disclaims endorsement of the petition.

Common questions

Were the possible $4.9 million revenue losses federal?

No. The summary expressly calls them revenues from state sources. It lists federal Medicaid revenues separately.

Did the AG confirm that federal Medicaid funding would fall by $7.2 billion?

No. The summary says federal Medicaid revenues "may decrease by an unknown amount, up to $7.2 billion annually." The AG approved legal content and form, not the fairness or sufficiency of the estimate.

Did the letter say whether the petition reached the ballot?

No. It reports only the fiscal-note review.

Background and statutory framework

The State Auditor submitted a fiscal note and summary under § 116.175, RSMo. The AG approved the summary’s legal content and form under § 116.175.4, RSMo, while expressly limiting the review. Read the official letter.

Citations

• § 116.175, RSMo (fiscal note submission).
• § 116.175.4, RSMo (AG review).

Source

• Landing page: https://ago.mo.gov/other-resources/ag-opinions/
• Original PDF: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/attachments/137-2019.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ERIC SCHMITT
July 22, 2019
OPINION LETTER NO. 137-2019
The Honorable Nicole Galloway
Missouri State Auditor
State Capitol, Room 121
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Auditor Galloway:
This office received your letter of June 17, 2019, submitting a fiscal note and fiscal note summary prepared under § 116.175, RSMo, for an initiative petition submitted by Sara Baker (20-R001). The fiscal note summary that you submitted is as follows: Revenues from state sources may decrease by at least $4.9 million annually and federal Medicaid revenues may decrease by an unknown amount, up to $7.2 billion annually. The Public Defender's Office anticipates increased costs of an unknown amount to defend women's medical actions after conception. Local governmental entities anticipate a significant negative impact. Under § 116.175.4, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the fiscal note summary. Because our review of the fiscal note summary is mandated by statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the initiative petition or as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents. Furthermore, our review under § 116.175.4 does not examine the fairness or sufficiency of the estimated fiscal impact. Very truly yours,

ERIC S. SCHMITT
Attorney General

Supreme Court Building
207 W. High Street
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
www.ago.mo.gov

OP-2019-0130