3 weeks ago
Kansas will stay among nan fistful of states that haven't legalized nan medical usage of marijuana aliases expanded their Medicaid programs for astatine slightest different year.
Republican authorities senators connected Friday blocked efforts to unit debates connected some issues earlier nan GOP-controlled Legislature's scheduled adjournment for nan twelvemonth Tuesday. Supporters of each measurement fell short of nan 24 of 40 votes required to propulsion a measure connected each taxable retired of committee.
KANSAS GOVERNOR VETOES BILL BANNING TRANSGENDER TREATMENT TO MINORS, ABORTION RESTRICTIONS
Backers of some proposals reason that they person celebrated support yet person been thwarted going connected a decade successful each case. Kansas doesn't let voters to put projected laws connected nan ballot statewide, a way that has led to support for each measurement successful different states.
All but 12 states person legalized aesculapian marijuana, and each but 10 person expanded Medicaid successful statement pinch nan 2010 national Affordable Care Act and its committedness to screen almost each of nan cost. Besides Kansas, only Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming person done neither, according to nan National Conference of State Legislatures.
"We're down nan times," authorities Sen. John Doll, a occidental Kansas Republican who voted for some measures, said aft Friday's votes.
Republican leaders had expected some efforts to fail, fixed nan GOP's 29-11 Senate majority, and viewed them mostly arsenic governmental grandstanding.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks during a roundtable chat successful favour of expanding nan state's Medicaid program, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, astatine nan Shawnee County jailhouse successful Topeka, Kan. The Democratic politician supports expanding Medicaid, but Republicans person blocked an effort successful nan Senate to unit a statement connected it. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
The aesculapian marijuana ballot was 12-25, pinch 3 senators absent. Law enforcement officials reason nan idea, seeing aesculapian marijuana arsenic apt to beryllium adjacent to legalizing recreational use.
During committee grounds earlier this year, opponents besides pointed to Oklahoma officials' vexation pinch nan legalization of aesculapian marijuana by ballot inaugural location successful 2018. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, has said nan explosive maturation of nan marijuana manufacture nether a lax rule has attracted an influx of criminals and overseas nationals for forbidden black-market operations.
"We had nary thought we were going to person 10,000 growers, measurement much than they person successful California and each these different states, and anybody pinch a hangnail could get a aesculapian card," Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said.
But Oklahoma besides received astir $52 cardinal successful gross from its excise taxation connected marijuana and an further $67 cardinal successful authorities and section income taxes successful 2023.
Cheryl Kumberg, a registered occidental Kansas caregiver and president of nan Kansas Cannabis Coalition, said Oklahoma's problems stem from its lax law. She said Kansas residents who tin get cannabis from different states are utilizing it, risking ineligible issues to reside their aesculapian problems.
"It’s ridiculous," she said. "I tin spell 45 minutes 1 way, a mates hours successful nan different direction, and you tin conscionable you tin conscionable usage it nevertheless you want."
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly moreover linked aesculapian marijuana to Medicaid description successful 2021, unsuccessfully pitching marijuana taxes to screen nan state's comparatively mini stock of nan costs of expanding Medicaid wellness sum to different 150,000 people.
The Medicaid description ballot Friday was 18-17 contempt months of fierce nationalist campaigning by Kelly and different description advocates. In early January, she said she was taking a "more governmental approach" and suggested plans to deed anti-expansion Republicans difficult during nan autumn campaign.
She backed disconnected that thought this month, telling reporters aft 1 pro-expansion event, "Whether it's an predetermination twelvemonth aliases not — that's irrelevant."
But past year, Kelly formed nan Middle of nan Road governmental action committee, and it raised astir $1 cardinal by nan extremity December for elections this twelvemonth for each legislative seats.
Also past year, 2 erstwhile Kelly run aides helped shape a nonprofit defense group, nan Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, to backmost nan governor's goals. That group put retired a post-vote connection suggesting that a nary ballot was a ballot against lowering wellness attraction costs and helping agrarian hospitals.
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But Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said earlier nan ballot that he wasn't expecting Medicaid description to go a awesome run issue. He dismissed surveys and polling that description supporters released showing its fame arsenic "just based connected really nan mobility is asked."
"If you inquire them, 'Do you want able-bodied group to get free wellness care?" group will ballot no," Masterson said, repeating a communal GOP argument.
