On the way to work this morning, I had the delight of hearing the following two news stories back to back. I’ve never been prouder of my birthplace.

1:

A bill filed Thursday by Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-O’Fallon, would take away a legal guardian’s right to remove a patient’s feeding tube. The proposal would also let patients signal to doctors that they do not want their feeding tubes removed.

“A physician would have been able to ask Terri Schiavo if she wants a drink of water, if she could so much as raise her arm or make a signal to them, they would not have pulled that tube out of her,” Davis said.

Davis’ bill would require the state of Missouri to continue caring for such patients unless a living will directed otherwise. Violating such a provision would be a felony under Davis’ bill, which has 29 co-sponsors.

2:

In a final effort to balance the state budget, last week Gov. Matt Blunt proposed nearly $240 million in cuts, including a 10 percent cut in state funding for University Hospital and Clinics…. Blunt’s proposed budget also includes Medicaid cuts that would remove almost 100,000 Missourians from Medicaid.

“We’re going to fast track it and try and move it as quickly as we can through the process,” said Jetton, R-Marble Hill.

The moral of the story: if you’re gonna be poor and sick in Missouri, try to get yourself into a coma.