This YDA Chapter Showcase features the Kansas Young Democrats today. Recently, leaders from the Kansas Young Democrats joined like minded groups and supporters to hold a large public rally in support of health insurance reform and the public option. Below are some great details on this successful event, including statistics on why this health reform is so incredibly important to the people of Kansas. Great work Kansas!
- Karl Johnson
This past weekend there was a healthcare reform rally held in Kansas. The rally was primarily organized by the writers of Forward Kansas. The rally was in response to Brenda Landwehr and Mary Pilcher Cook’s proposed legislation to opt Kansas out of any eventual public insurance option. That’s right, certain Kansas lawmakers wants to prevent Kansas from receiving any part of the public option before the bill is even passed by proposing a constitutional amendment, the Health Care Freedom Amendment. Despite the misleading title of this amendment it would deny Kansans the freedom to choose a public health insurance option.
Luckily all of Kansas isn’t as crazy as some of our electeds are. The people of Kansas are smarter than to believe the misleading language of the proposed amendment. This rally was the second one we have held against this amendment and was a great success!
“We didn’t expect so many people to come out, especially in the cold, but Kansans need health care now. Over 58,000 children in Kansas are uninsured and about 60 percent of Americans want a public option,” organizer Levi Henry said. “It’s great to see so many of those people represented here today.”
My favorite part of it all, is that most the people in attendance were youth. Young kids, college students, young professionals, middle aged folks and senior citizens stood together to stand up for Kansas.
According to a study released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in July about the benefits of the Affordable Health Choices Act being debated in the US Congress:
Over 250,000 Kansans who currently are unable to purchase health care would gain access to high quality, affordable care.
Over 65,000 Kansas small businesses would have the possibility of receiving tax credits to provide for coverage of their employees.
Over 44,000 Kansas seniors would avoid a hole in Medicare Part D that currently exists, drastically improving their care.
Over 4,100 Kansan families would escape the clutches of bankruptcy due to affordable health care.
Rep. Nile Dillmore, Ranking Democrat, Insurance Committee, Kansas House of Representatives singled out Rep Brenda Landwher and her Amendment saying “The sponsors of the Health Care Freedom Amendment are ideological and politically motivated individuals who are on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of their constituents economic and social interests.”
Other speakers included:
Rep. Geraldine Flaherty, Ranking Democrat, Health & Human Services Committee, Kansas House of Representatives
Rep. Delia Garcia, Ranking Democrat, Local Government Committee, Kansas House of Representatives
Dr. Tom Kluzak, Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP)
Deborah Ballard-Reisch, Fellow at the Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas needs the public option, too many Kansans have had to go bankrupt or even die because of a lack of coverage. It’s time we put and end to this and told Brenda Landwehr and Mary Pilcher Cook that we want no part in their propose amendment that is bad for Kansas.
Quoted text is from Sarah’s earlier post about the rally.
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