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Representative Schumacher delivers farewell remarks, highlights long‑term care funding overhaul
Summary
On the House floor, Representative Schumacher reflected on his political origin, thanked family and staff, and highlighted a major legislative achievement: overhauling long‑term care financing into a value‑based reimbursement system that he said included $134 million in funding.
Representative Schumacher delivered a farewell address on the House floor, recounting his path from high‑school page to lawmaker and thanking family, staff and colleagues as he signaled he is stepping away from the Legislature.
He used the speech to highlight several policy accomplishments, most notably what he called an overhaul of long‑term care and nursing‑home funding into a value‑based reimbursement system. "We were still able to get the 134 million to to get that done," Representative Schumacher said, describing the package as a centerpiece of his legislative career while he served as chair of aging and long‑term care committees.
Schumacher opened with personal memories — family conversations at the supper table and a history teacher who encouraged action — then traced a political arc that included serving as a high‑school page, being recruited into a campaign after a candidate dropped out at the filing deadline, and eventually winning an unexpectedly close race. "This will be the longest I've ever spoke on the House floor," he said at the start, drawing light laughter.
Beyond long‑term care financing, Schumacher recounted other major efforts: pushing for the Lewis and Clark Water Project in La Verne that required an $11 million bonding allocation, expanding bed capacity at Regions Hospital and engaging on disability waiver rate and workforce issues tied to the Competitive Workforce Act he referenced. He said touring roughly 119 long‑term care sites informed policy choices and reinforced the facilities' role in local communities — including one instance in 2014 when a nursing home sheltered residents of a town of about 800 people during a multi‑day power outage.
He praised colleagues and staff who aided those efforts, naming Representative Lillie as his committee partner on long‑term care work and thanking dozens of staff members by name for years of service. Schumacher also described the personal costs of the job and said that managing constituent expectations contributed to his decision to move on.
Representative Schumacher closed by reflecting on legacy: after 16 years in office he said he hopes his service can be summed up modestly and thanked members for their support. He offered best wishes to the chamber as he concluded his remarks.
There was no formal vote or motion attached to the speech; Schumacher's address was a personal and policy retrospective rather than a chamber action.
