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Missouri Residents Fear Effect of Funding Cuts for Disabled People

Advocates for the disabled say funding cuts to in-home care could force some Missouri residents into nursing homes.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports about $8 million of the $50 million the state Legislature initially cut last year has been restored. Republican State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick is chair of the House Budget Committee. He says the cuts affected more than 7,800 disabled Missouri residents. 

Advocates say the cuts have resulted in disabled residents receiving fewer hours with personal attendants who assist them with daily tasks they can't otherwise perform. St. Louis resident Steve Foelsch is paralyzed from the chest down. The 53-year-old has had to max out his credit card so his attendants can stay longer since the state no longer covers that care.

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