As it was pointed out in the Fiction vs Fact letter published in Hays Post, Sept. 30, my Democratic opponent continues to believe that if he states his opinion enough times that people will somehow believe it is fact. But the voters of Ellis County are smarter than that.
He says that I will not support Obamacare Expansion and he also claims that Fort Hays show receive $20 million to $30 million in additional funding per year. The following are my actual and stated positions on each issue.
FACT:​​ I am not against the idea of Obamacare expansion itself. But so far legislation to expand Obamacare proposed in the state House has not included the three things that need to be addressed in a financially responsible way: 1. Work Requirement Issue – Obamacare expansion almost forces applicants to not work and penalizes those who make too much money; 2. Making sure expansion legislation doesn’t push the disabled population further down the list of applicants; and 3. include an automatic trigger if the federal government reimbursement rate falls below 90%.
FACT: ​​It is absolute fact that Fort Hays gets full funding for the programs that it provides its students. It is also true that my opponent’s claim is not based in reality. His opinion is based on a comparison with Wichita State University that compares apples to oranges. This session Fort Hays got an additional $5 million to renovate Gross Memorial Coliseum as well as $500,000 for their cybersecurity program. Also in 2022, higher education received $160 million to cover revenue not received from tuition increases. Neither the Regents nor the governor pushed for Fort Hays, but I did.
The choice is clear on Nov. 8. Vote for someone who works for you, and advocates for our community. Vote for me, Barb Wasinger.
State Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays