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!"

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Kansas Reflector Morning eNewsletter "Read & Reflect", March 29, 2021

 

Morning newsletter of the Kansas Reflector Sherman Smith | Editor in chief Good morning. "What matters is the effect of this law, and the effect is that this law is point blank a voter suppression law." — Sen. Ethan Corson, D-Prairie Village, during debate over legislation to narrow the window in which voters can cast their ballots by mail House advances $284M tax cut in response to Senate’s $470M behemoth TOPEKA — The Kansas House gave initial approval Monday for a tax reform plan responding to the behemoth tax bill passed by the Senate last month. The House proposal incorporates elements of the $470 million Senate plan with a tax increase on out-of-state retailers who sell products online in Kansas. The measure would cost the state an estimated $284 million from 2022 to 2024, with a sizable chunk devoted to allowing Kansans to take the standard deduction on federal income tax returns and claim the benefits of itemized ductions on state income tax returns. Another component would provide tax breaks for multinational corporations. The change would decouple federal and state law, which currently forces individual taxpayers to pick the standard deduction or itemization on both federal and state income tax forms. Some of these costs would be offset by the marketplace facilitator tax — requiring online, out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax for sales above $100,000 annually — but opponents of the bill raised questions about who this bill would benefit. Supporters touted the bill as a reasonable alternative to the plan brought forth by the Senate. Read more. Kansas leaders who blame poor people for their poverty are promoting a false moral narrative Opinion from Kathy Downing, who serves on the state coordinating committee for the Kansas Poor People's Campaign: Poor and low-wealth people are organizing and leading change, countering the false moral narrative that they are to blame for their poverty. Read more. Election reform bills bring fiery debate for their impact on voters Proposed changes to Kansas elections, such as limiting the window for mail-in ballots and making it a crime to help others turn in advance ballots, invite scrutiny from Democrats and an election rights activist. Read more. More than 250 arrested in Shawnee County as joint police operation targets violent crime A 10-day operation by federal, state and local law enforcement to target violent fugitives and gang members in Topeka led to more than 250 arrests and the seizure of 24 firearms, nearly 19 kilograms of illegal drugs and $25,000 in cash. Read more. Senate panel advances plan to install child advocate under Kansas attorney general Republicans in the Senate advance plan to install a child advocate in the Kansas Attorney General’s Office to investigate and report on problems in the foster care system. Read more. Derek Chauvin trial begins with opening statements focused on cause of death, police training Opening statements in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin indicate the trial will hinge on police training and the cause of George Floyd's death. Read more. Support one-of-a-kind Kansas journalism  with a tax-deductible donation to the Reflector. Help us grow Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser Copyright © 2021 Kansas Reflector, all rights reserved. www.kansasreflector.com | info@kansasreflector.com Did someone forward you this newsletter?  Click here to get it delivered to your inbox. 112 SW 6th, Suite 408, Topeka, Kansas 66603

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