Kansas Governor Laura Kelly wrapped up her Medicaid expansion town hall tour in Emporia Thursday morning.
The governor was joined at the Emporia Granada Theatre by city leaders and local constituents as she offered her final thoughts on the need and potential for expansion with the annual veto session now underway. The Senate has previously stated it would be taking up the governor’s Medicaid expansion plan during the session. A procedural vote is needed to bring the measure to the floor, meaning 24 yes votes would bring it out of committee. If that happens, 27 votes would be needed for a debate and vote.
During a Q&A with attendees Thursday morning, Governor Kelly stated she believes this will happen saying “I won’t be too surprised if the Senate can move the bill out of committee.”
17th District Senator Jeff Longbine of Emporia, who spoke with KVOE News following the governor’s appearance, stated the governor “may be a bit more optimistic than I am on whether or not it gets enough votes to be considered.”
Regardless of the outcome of the veto session, Longbine says this will be a “really good test to see where things are at.” With that in mind, however, Longbine adds his belief that “people’s minds are pretty much made up.”
While these comments indicate lawmakers are likely to hold their ground on the matter, Medicaid has seen notable progress this legislative session including a pair of hearings on the matter back in late March. Ultimately the House Health and Human Services Committee voted along party lines, 12-5, to table further discussion on House Bill 2556, which would have added between 40,000 and 50,000 people to the state’s Medicaid system.
This year marks the governor’s sixth attempt at passing Medicaid expansion under Governor Kelly’s administration with the first attempt coming in 2014. Expansion was passed back in 2017 but ultimately vetoed and the matter passed the House of Representatives back in 2019 but failed to reach the Senate floor.
As of now, Kansas is one of only 10 states to have not expanded Medicaid eligibility to its residents. The Governor says that inaction has led billions of Kansas taxpayer dollars being left in DC.
The governor’s appearance at the Granada followed stops at several local businesses in downtown Emporia.
