EDITORIAL: Kansas showdown puts budget at risk

St. Joseph News-Press (MO)

April 01--A critical faction of Kansas legislators face a choice: yield to emotionalism or stand firm against a spending decision that could add to the state's fiscal woes.

Our advice is to stand firm.

All along it has been both inaccurate and harshly divisive to brand opponents of federally encouraged Medicaid expansion as simply uncaring. Time and again, those who resist expansion have made clear their main concerns are state finances and a desire to reform the existing program to ensure aid reaches those most in need.

This reasoning remains sound, and yet these lawmakers now are under intense lobbying pressure to switch their votes and accept something that runs against their principles.

In the wake of the collapse of efforts in Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, a majority of Republicans in the legislature opted this week to proceed with an expansion of Medicaid to about 150,000 additional people. As part of President Obama's health care law, states are allowed to expand the program to people who would make too much money to qualify under previous rules.

The problem this largesse conceals is the risk to Kansas' budget. Opponents including Gov. Sam Brownback have pointed to the experience of other nearby states as proof that expanding Medicaid will increase costs for Kansas taxpayers.

Others in the debate contend having more people insured should be the only consideration -- more spending is all that is needed to achieve their desired outcome. Except that Kansas should be the last state to be thinking about adding to its financial obligations.

The state's budget is woefully out of balance. It can't find money to meet its constitutional obligations to schools, has backed out on commitments to major road and bridge improvements, and now is considering temporarily freezing contributions to teachers' and government workers' pensions.

Brownback has come in for ample criticism, but he was right to veto Medicaid expansion at a time when it is still unclear whether Congress will return to its efforts to repeal Obamacare and provide states with new flexibility in dealing with the challenges of health care.

Kansas needs that flexibility, and it needs more money to invest in many other priorities that have been impacted by its budget crisis. It most certainly does not need new financial risk from expanding an entitlement program.

This is the message that needs to be considered by those lawmakers who are being asked to switch their votes and vote to overturn Brownback's veto. We say stand firm.

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