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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">On January
11, 2010, Debbie Greider, attorney for the class of blind pensioners, attended a
meeting in Jefferson City with representatives of the State, attorney, Mark Long
of the Attorney General’s Office, attorney Mark Gutchen, Legal Counsel for the
Department of Social Services, and Dr. Jim LePage, Court-Appointed Special
Master.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>John Ammann, Barbara
Gilchrist, Amy Sanders, and Professor Mike Alderson participated by
teleconference from St. Louis.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
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style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">At that time
the State representatives discussed with Dr. LePage the issues that Mr. Long had
raised with him during the Court hearing on January 17, and asked him to
consider specific data and, if necessary, revise his report in light of any
findings he might make regarding the data.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Dr. LePage said that he would do so.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The next day,
Dr. LePage sent a couple of e-mails to Mark Long requesting the data that the
State had asked him to consider.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Some of the data has now been provided to Dr.
LePage.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">On January
19, 2010, Debbie Greider, John Ammann, and Barbara Gilchrist participated in a
teleconference convened by Judge Joyce along with Mark Long and Mark Gutchen
(Legal Counsel for the Department of Social Services).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Debbie reported that Dr. LePage had told
her that he was still awaiting some data from the State;<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Debbie <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>told the Judge that Dr. LePage said that
he could complete his report within 3 weeks of receipt of the data.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mark Long informed the Court and
Plaintiffs’ attorneys that he was not sure that the State had all the data that
Dr. LePage had requested, that he was not sure why Dr. LePage wanted some of the
data, and that in order to retrieve all the data, the State would have to
request it from the Social Security Administration, pay for it, and that the
retrieval process could take weeks or months.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Debbie
reported that she was under the impression that the State had wanted Dr. LePage
to consider the data that it was now reporting was
unavailable.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Mark Long
indicated that he would contact Dr. LePage and see what data was absolutely
necessary to his analysis.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>John
Ammann suggested that averages might be a satisfactory way to deal with missing
data.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">The Judge
rescheduled a status teleconference for February 18.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Plaintiffs’ attorneys hope that there
will be some absolute clarity with respect to the missing data by that time and
that the Special Master will have been able to complete his report—addressing
all the concerns raised by the State.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Some folks
have asked whether they should raise this case and the possibility of settlement
with their legislative representatives.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>This question has special pertinence since the Legislative Days are
scheduled for February 16 and 17.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The attorneys for the Plaintiff class will address this issue closer to
the Legislative Days.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They hope
that the Special Master will have completed his report by then, and that the
information contained in it will prove helpful if it seems in the best interest
of the class to address the matter with legislative
representatives.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">_____________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
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