Tossing the keys of leadership to anyone who declares they are republican?

 

Is this the best we can do? Letting Republicans turn their backs on the majority of Missourians?

In August 2020, Missouri voters approved expanding Medicaid to cover those below 138% of the poverty level.i The Constitutional amendmentii required the state to seek maximum federal funding of Medicaid expansion and was passed by a margin of 53.3% to 46.7% of the votes cast.iii

In November 2020, Governor Parson won election by a 57.1% – 40.7% margin of the votes cast.iv Medicaid expansion thus received bi-partisan support, far more than the highest margin of votes for a democrat in a state-wide race.

Fast forward to March 25, 2021. Missouri House Republicans voted down funding for the required Medicaid expansion.v Now, the budgetary hearings in the Missouri Senate will fall on partisan lines, with republicans falsely claiming that because Biden is our president, Medicaid will fund abortions. So the democrats are predicted to add funds into the state budget to fulfill the constitutional duty, and the republicans are expected to delete those funds. Filibusters are likely, and the republicans have enough of a majority to stop those by invoking a seldom used tool calling for a vote on the previous question.

Every opening session of our legislature begins with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of our nation. Apparently, the Pledge has been expanded by those in control to include the republican party, and not the people they were elected to serve.

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i In 2021, the poverty guidelines for a family of four is $21,960. 138% of that is $36,570. For a family of two, 138% is $24,039.60. Assuming two adults earn the minimum wage of $10.30 hourly and work 40 hours per week, their combined annual income is $42,848.

ii https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2020-063.pdf

iii https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/default.aspx?eid=750005307

iv https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/default.aspx?eid=750005307

v https://missouriindependent.com/2021/03/25/republican-lawmakers-vote-down-funding-formissouri- medicaid-expansion/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7f36234d-fb86-4da2-a35b-549bfea60f44

 
John Boyd