Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Missouri Senate committee heard legislation Tuesday that could reduce the number of people receiving financial assistance from the state.

Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, presented his bill that would reduce the lifetime limit on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families from five years to two, ban those convicted of “dangerous felonies” from receiving assistance, and require people to engage in “work activities” (like job searching and training) before receiving assistance.

“Our program in Missouri is downright failing,” Sater said. “This is trying to get people back to work.”

The measure would also ban Missouri from giving food stamps to those who are not employed or looking for a job.

Jeanette Mott Oxford, executive director of Empower Missouri, a liberal group that supports welfare programs, said she was concerned that booting people from the program could put more strain on private assistance programs like food banks and homeless shelters.

“It’s important that we would not do something with our policies to increase these horrible situations,” she said.

Senate President Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, said he hoped the committee would pass the measure so that it would go before the entire Senate by the end of January.