Local legislators speak out against Brownback veto of Medicaid expansion

March 30--TOPEKA -- Kansas Governor Sam Brownback Thursday vetoed a bill to expand Medicaid in the state.

The bill -- HB 2044 -- passed the House of Representatives in late February by a vote of 81-44, then passed the Senate Tuesday 25-14.

Senator Jeff Longbine (R-Emporia), Senator Tom Hawk (D-Manhattan), Representative Dave Baker (R-Council Grove) and Representative Lonnie Clark (R-Junction City) -- all of whom represent Geary County residents in the legislature -- voted in support of the bill.

"(It was) not unexpected," Longbine said Thursday in an interview with the Daily Union. "In the last three years that Medicaid expansion has been discussed, he's certainly let everyone know where he was at. It is disappointing, but we will, over the weekend, try to see if we can get enough votes to do an override. Hopefully we can, because I think that's a population that we need to make sure is covered. It's also extremely critical for our hospitals and our providers."

Medicaid expansion is allowed under the Affordable Care Act -- federal healthcare legislation passed under former President Barack Obama. The Republican-controlled congress attempted last week to pass a bill to repeal and replace the ACA, but pulled the bill from consideration March 24.

Governor Brownback has never favored the legislation, and stayed consistent with his history Thursday.

"I am vetoing this expansion of ObamaCare because it fails to serve the truly vulnerable before the able-bodied, lacks work requirements to help able-bodied Kansans escape poverty, and burdens the state budget with unrestrainable entitlement costs," the Governor said in a press release Thursday.

Representatives of Geary County and the surrounding area weren't pleased.

"This is not one of those casual things (to) save money," Hawk told the Daily Union Thursday. "It's one of those things that, in my view, harms people -- their health. It will cost people their lives."

"Some of those guys who voted no, they need to hear from their constituents," Baker said. "I appreciate what they're saying. I understand all their concerns about (whether) the federal government may do away with (Medicaid expansion), but I can tell you right now, if we don't do something to help our nursing homes and hospitals, we're gonna be in a horrible situation."

With the bill vetoed, the next step is for the legislature to vote to override. In order to do so, the legislature needs a two-thirds majority vote, meaning 27 votes in the Senate and 84 votes in the House.

The House will vote first, and though the vote was debated Thursday, it was ultimately tabled until next week. Both Baker and Clark said the tabling was in reaction to a few absent House members, as well as a tactic to rally some more votes.

"My gut feeling is I think there's gonna be (legislators) that have some enormous pressure put on them," Baker said. "I've always told those people in the nursing homes, what (the 'no' voters) will understand is when they have people sitting in wheel chairs at their office."

"I think those 'no' votes are pretty hard 'no' votes in terms of the override. But ... whether you're conservative, moderate or not, there's a common agreement that our state budget is in big trouble," Hawk said. "When we look at this and the potential that this might have to help our budget -- the surefire potential that it will help our state economy and help our hospitals -- and then you look at (the worst-case scenario in Washington) the very worst-case scenario where they go to a block grant. Our state would be far better off to expand medicaid and have our full amount of money.

All four legislators told the Daily Union they have supported the bill because it would provide financial assistance to low-income Kansans as well as small and mid-size rural hospitals, such as Geary Community Hospital.

GCH CEO Joe Stratton said last Thursday that lack of Medicaid expansion cost the hospital $1.2 million last year.

Extra funding for GCH is the main reason Rep. Clark supported the bill.

"It's a no-brainer for me," Clark said Thursday. "Junction City needs this. It would bring ($1.2 million) to Geary Community Hospital, so I'm a 'yes' vote."

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