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In her annual State of the State address, Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly focused on the state’s rural areas, urging lawmakers to expand Medicaid and cut taxes.
She explained her priorities and how they impact education, child care, health and the economy in rural areas of the state.
“When rural Kansas residents are doing well, Kansas as a whole is doing well,” Kelly said.
At the top of Kelly’s list is Medicaid expansion, which has been the governor’s signature agenda since taking office in 2019. In his speech, Mr. Kelly said many rural hospitals are at risk of closing unless government-run insurance programs for low-income and disabled people are expanded. Kansans.
Kelly said struggling hospitals are being forced to increase costs, lay off health care workers and cut some services.
“Then, counties often resort to raising property taxes in a desperate bid to keep hospitals afloat, but when that fails, Kansans have to drive increasingly longer distances for basic care. No,” Kelly said.
Kelly said he wants to expand Medicaid to provide health coverage to 150,000 Kansans, especially those who don’t have employer-based health insurance but earn too much to qualify for the program under current law. thinking.
Although unlikely to win the support of Republicans who control the Legislature, Kelly’s strategy appears to be gaining public support ahead of November elections in which all 165 seats in the Kansas House will be up for grabs. He called on Republican leaders in both chambers to at least allow hearings on Medicaid expansion to be held.
But so far, legislative leaders have shown no signs of addressing the issue. In response to the governor’s speech, Kansas Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins said it would expand “the welfare state and dependency.”
“Billions of new state and federal dollars will be spent to increase benefits for able-bodied working-age people in the form of Medicaid expansion,” he said. “Limited resources should be reserved for those in genuine need, rather than being siphoned off to able-bodied adults who don’t want to work and have access to other health care options.”
Hawkins said Republicans support other approaches to lower health care costs, including higher reimbursement rates, support for community mental health centers and support for charity health clinics.
As of December, only 10 states had not expanded Medicaid. Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma all do so.
About 70% of Kansans support Medicaid expansion, including more than half of Republicans, according to a Fort Hays State University poll last year.
Kelly rejects vouchers, promises to fully fund schools
Kelly said in a speech Wednesday that he intends to veto any bill that attempts to introduce private school vouchers, which would give parents tax credits for private education.
“Vouchers would destroy our rural schools, plain and simple,” she said. “Our teachers don’t support vouchers. Our local officials don’t support vouchers. And Kansans don’t support vouchers.”
Last year, Mr. Kelly vetoed a bill that would have given parents up to $5,000 in tax credits for private school and homeschooling.
Hawkins did not directly address private school vouchers in his rebuttal, but said Republicans would continue to pursue reform.
“I will encourage educational innovation to ensure Kansas children receive the best education possible,” Hawkins said.
Kelly also said his proposed budget fully funds Kansas schools, something Hawkins said Republicans support as well.
Kerry and Republicans disagree on tax reform
In this year’s State of the State address, Kelly also highlighted his plan to cut Kansas’ taxes. She announced her own proposal at the start of her new session Monday.
Among those proposals: eliminating the food sales tax by April instead of next year, eliminating the tax on Social Security income and increasing the state property tax housing credit from $42,000 to $100,000. It includes things like that.
“We must put that money back into the pockets of Kansans, and we will do so in a fiscally responsible and targeted manner,” she said.
Although a few Republicans support Mr. Kelly’s plan, Republican leaders are expected to once again pursue a single-rate income tax system, often referred to as a “flat tax.” The Kansas Chamber of Commerce, a group with far-reaching influence in the state Legislature, announced a proposal that would create a single income tax rate of 5% for people making more than $15,000 a year.
Supporters of the single-tax system say it benefits all Kansas taxpayers and the state can afford to make up for lost tax revenue. Critics say it unfairly favors high-income earners and damages the state’s infrastructure and public schools.
Mr. Kelly vetoed such a plan last year and said he has the votes to prevent it from passing this year.
In his rebuttal to the governor, Hawkins said rising prices and economic uncertainty are weighing heavily on Kansas families.
“With end-of-period balances soaring and a rainy day fund in place, we are working harder than ever to increase household income and take-home pay,” he said. “Kansas families deserve relief from inflation in the form of tax cuts, not bigger government.”
Daniel Caudill reports on the Kansas Legislature and government for Kansas Public Radio and Kansas News Service. He can be emailed at dcaudill@ku.edu.
Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio that focuses on health, the social determinants of health, and their relationship to public policy.
Kansas News Agency articles and photos may be republished by news outlets without charge with proper attribution and linking. ksnewsservice.org.
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