In these ridiculously partisan times, it may be a stretch to expect voters to look to the issues when checking a ballot box in the upcoming weeks, but that’s exactly what I’m asking you to do.
And when you look closely at the key issues of the economy, healthcare, and education, you’re going to want to vote for Ed Hammond to represent the 111th District (including Hays and Victoria) in the Kansas Legislature.
Let’s start with the economy and healthcare together since they both are intertwined with the issue of Medicaid expansion. Five years ago, a bipartisan Kansas Legislature passed Medicaid expansion, but then-Governor Brownback vetoed it.
Kansas legislators no doubt passed this measure because, quite frankly, it’s the right thing to do — and every surrounding state must agree: Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado have all passed Medicaid expansion, and their residents benefit, while Kansas residents do not. And economists note that, because of the tax benefits, states that pass expansion either see no deficit in their bottom line or, in some cases, even see a positive economic impact.
Without expansion, who even qualifies for Medicaid coverage in Kansas? Only the poorest of the poor. Currently, for a parent supporting two children, the salary cap for eligibility is a mere $8,500/year, and the wage cap is $4/hour. Yes, you read that right. It’s absurd and even negligent. This tough economy hurts everyone, but especially the poor— and without Medicaid expansion, they suffer even more.
“Our current representative [Barb Wasinger] has chosen not to advocate for expansion and in fact has actively participated in blocking it. The time is now to have Medicaid expansion,” candidate Ed Hammond says.
Were he to be elected, another benefit would hit close to home: fair and equitable state funding for Fort Hays State University, which is a significant employer and economic force in the 111th District. As a former president of FHSU, Hammond would be a knowledgeable and effective advocate. During his campaign, he has outlined how the current state-funding model is outdated and costs FHSU $20 million-30 million a year.You can believe that, if elected, he will fight for our university, and the economic and educational boon will benefit the entire district.
Hammond will also fight for full funding for special education and K-12 schools. The current legislature, of which the incumbent is a part, has essentially robbed Peter to pay Paul. They fully funded the operational side of school budgets but then shortchanged the educational side, leaving special education 20% short of its necessary funding. So where will that money come from? It must come from somewhere because schools are required by law to meet the needs of disabled students. Hammond points out that this shortfall “puts pressure on local school district mill levies — equivalent to 5 mills in Hays and 3.5 in Victoria.”
Regardless of your own political party, if you care about the economy, the health of our state’s most vulnerable citizens, and the education of our children and FHSU students, then Ed Hammond deserves your vote. When he was president, he led Fort Hays State University through periods of great innovation, expansion, and financial stability. Let’s have him do the same for the State of Kansas.
Cheryl Hofstetter Duffy, Hays