Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Medicaid Expansion Passes in the Show-Me State

by Pa Rock
Missouri Citizen Journalist

Yesterday was a big day for politics in Missouri.  The state's primary election resulted in several surprises that are reverberating across local districts, the state, and the nation.

First, in my area's local state senate race, Karla Eslinger, a former school superintendent and current state representative beat out two other candidates, one of whom was also a state representative and the other who bragged about being the uncle of a state representative.  Ms. Eslinger defeated Robert Ross, the candidate who came in second, by just 142 votes - in a race that garnered nearly 35,000 votes.  Ross had been endorsed by Missouri's Club for Growth and had received significant financial support from that right-wing organization.

Ten-term Missouri Democratic Congressman Lacy Clay from St. Louis City was defeated in the primary bid for reelection by Black Lives Matter activist and progressive candidate Cori Bush.  Mr. Clay, a prominent member of the Black Congressional Caucus, had succeeded his father in office, and the family had held that congressional seat for fifty-two years.  That district, Missouri's First CD, is predominantly black and Democratic, and it is assumed that Ms. Bush will have very little difficulty in winning the general election in November.

And, in one other big story out of the "show me" state, Missourians yesterday voted to expand Medicaid, a move that will give more medical coverage to low income Missourians, or, as today's Springfield News-Leader put it:

"Missouri voters on Tuesday backed a plan to offer public health insurance to hundreds of thousands more low-income adults 53 percent-47 percent, defying Republicans who blocked it at the statehouse for years and implored voters to reject it on the ballot."

Medicaid expansion will become effective in Missouri next July, and when that occurs it will leave only twelve states in the nation who have failed to share this significant health care benefit with  their citizenry.

(Missouri's. Club for Growth also spent significant money opposing the ballot initiative to expand Medicaid in the state.)

All-in-all yesterday was a very good day for Missouri - and while it may not portend the end of the Trump era in politics, it does at least serve to indicate that reasonable people are getting to the polls and voting - and that has to be concerning to the GOP and Team Trump.

Stand tall, Missouri, and don't relax!    November is coming!

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