Today we have good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good news:
We are hearing word from inside the Capitol that Representative Zollinger’s dangerous Work Requirements bill is dead and will not receive a hearing.
Now more than ever, it is clear that your work is paying off. Let’s take a moment to celebrate what you, together with our statewide movement of supporters, have achieved over of the past four months:
- Election Day: Medicaid Expansion was enacted by a landslide, with 61% of the vote statewide and with a majority of the vote in 29 of 35 legislative districts
- Advocacy Day: 300 Reclaim Idaho leaders and supporters rallied at the steps of the capitol, and volunteers held over 40 in-person meetings with legislators from nearly every Idaho district
- Upheld by Supreme Court: The Idaho Supreme Court upheld Medicaid Expansion and dismissed challenges to the citizens’ law as “meritless”
- Repeal fails: Two bills to repeal Medicaid Expansion proposed by Representative John Green were rejected by the House Health & Welfare Committee
- Funding moves forward: The Idaho legislature’s Joint Finance & Appropriations Committee voted unanimously to fund Medicaid Expansion, paving the way for floor votes in the House and Senate
- Work Requirements bill fails: A proposal to add costly and harmful Work Requirements to Medicaid Expansion dies without a hearing
Our grassroots campaign to protect the will of the voters is working!
But we’re not finished.?Here’s the bad news: We’ve received word that, early next week, several Idaho legislators will propose yet another bill that would add dangerous restrictions to Medicaid Expansion. Like Zollinger’s failed bill, the next bill will include costly and harmful Work Requirements, and it will likely include several other dangerous restrictions.
Please call or email the legislators listed below and tell them you oppose Work Requirements and all other dangerous restrictions.?
Here are some sample messages you might use when making calls and writing emails, and below you’ll find contact info for key members of the House and Senate Health & Welfare committees:
- “Work Requirements would restrict care for the 62,000 Idahoans who need it most. Voters cast their ballot for a full expansion, with no additional restrictions or red tape.”
- “According to a new poll, 74% of Idahoans want to see an unmodified implementation of Medicaid Expansion. Please oppose Work Requirements and implement a clean expansion.”
- “Healthcare is on the way for 62,000 of our family, friends, and neighbors. I would urge you to abide by the will of the people and not obstruct the healthcare that thousands of Idahoans need.”
- “I want to urge you to oppose adding unnecessary Work Requirements to Medicaid Expansion. Lets not replicate the same wasteful and ineffective Work Requirement bill that has failed in other states.”
- “Work Requirements have been shown to be ineffective and would result in thousands of Idahoans losing coverage–not because they don?t meet the requirements, but because of navigating an expensive and confusing bureaucratic system. In Arkansas, Work Requirements resulted in nearly 17,000 people losing coverage.”
- “Kaiser Health News has estimated that Kentucky?s Work Requirements will cost $187 million in the first six months alone.”
Rep. Fred Wood
P: (208) 332-1074
E: fwood@house.idaho.gov
Facebook: @fredwoodidaho
Twitter: @FredWoodIdaho
Rep. Jarom Wagoner
P: (208) 332-1052
E: jwagoner@house.idaho.gov
Facebook: @wagonerforidaho
Twitter: @JaromWagoner
Rep. Marc Gibbs
P: (208) 332-1042
E: mgibbs@house.idaho.gov
Facebook : @marcjgibbs
Twitter: @MarcGibbsIdaho
Rep. Chad Christensen
P: (208) 332-1183
E: cchristensen@house.idaho.gov
Facebook: @IdahoLiberty
Twitter: @chadforidaho
Rep. Mike Kingsley
P: (208) 332-1133
E: mkingsley@house.idaho.gov
Facebook: @KingsleyforIdaho
Sen. Brent Hill
P: (208) 332-1300
E: bhill@senate.idaho.gov
Facebook: @senatorhill
Twitter: @Senator_Hill
Sen. Mark Harris
P: (208) 332-1429
E: mharris@senate.idaho.gov
Twitter: @MarkHarrisIdaho
Sen. Lee Heider
P: (208) 731-1631
E: lheider@senate.idaho.gov
Facebook: @lee.heider
Twitter: @leeheider
Sen. Van Burtenshaw
P: (208) 332-1342
E: vburtenshaw@senate.idaho.gov
Facebook: @vbforsenate
Sen. Abby Lee
P: (208) 332-1325
E: alee@senate.idaho.gov
Facebook: @abbyleeforidaho
Twitter: @SenAbbyLeeThank you so much for your ongoing support.
-The Reclaim Idaho Team