Women for Kansas, eNewsletter, April 18, 2021

 

I am incredibly saddened to see so many Republicans in the Kansas legislature overtly continuing their opposition to Medicaid expansion in Kansas. While 38 other states have expanded Medicaid, our legislative leaders have always had an excuse for not extending health care coverage to as many as 165,000 low-income Kansans. First, they said the Affordable Care Act would soon be overturned. Then, as more and more states signed on, they complained that residents of neighboring states would cross over borders and use our health care services, costing Kansas. Of course, all our neighboring states have now expanded, and Kansas stands alone. Why, when some Republican legislators are privately open to expansion? Why, when so many conservative organizations like chambers of commerce, the Kansas Catholic Conference, Kansas Catholic Bishops and numerous churches and businesses support expansion? Kansas has already lost billions to other states because of stubbornness and devotion to Republican party funders. To turn away from this incentive now is foolishness and an embarrassment to Kansas. We must be united in demanding that this year we expand Medicaid in Kansas. Susan Osborne, kansasreflector.com Read full article here: WHO REPRESENTS YOU? If you want to take action and do more than vote, the first step is knowing who represents you in Topeka. Brought to you by Mainstream Coalition, ksleglookup.org is there to help you find your State Representative and Senator, and how to contact them. HOW DOES YOUR LEGISLATOR VOTE? Read biographies, issue positions, ratings and funders, and track how they vote on the issues important to you. Visit Vote Smart's I Spy for more information. The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. Susan Osborne is a member of the state leadership team of Women for Kansas and president of the Women for Kansas Education Foundation.  CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE. TELL THEM "EXPAND MEDICAID NOW!"