Around 100 protestors gathered Thursday outside the Missouri Governor's Mansion to express support for expanding Medicaid, a measure heading to the Missouri Supreme Court this month.
Missouri Jobs with Justice organized the protest, delivering pre-recorded messages it collected via a hotline, allowing participants to share their stories on the spot.
Crystal Brigman-Mahaney, communications director for Missouri Jobs with Justice, said July 1 was supposed to be a day of celebration for uninsured Missourians, as it would have been the day the state expanded Medicaid to more than 275,000 people.
Amendment 2, which Missouri voters approved last August, would have expanded Medicaid to include adults age 19 or older and younger than 65 whose income is less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level.
Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem ruled the amendment unconstitutional June 23 because it didn't provide a way for the state to pay for the expansion. The decision has already been appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court.
"Even Gov. (Mike) Parson said and promised that he would fulfill the will of the people and fully implement Medicaid," Brigman-Mahaney said. "He has now broken that promise, lied to Missouri voters and put so many Missourians in fear for their health and their financial stability, and honestly questioning like the state of democracy."
Brigman-Mahaney said hundreds of people across the state called the hotline and more than 1,000 messages were received.
"Today we've got people who are uninsured and had July 1 circled on their calendar ready to finally have health care, and we're going to make sure that Gov. Parson hears those stories and remembers that he has the responsibility and power to keep his promise and fully implement Medicaid," Brigman-Mahaney said.
Parson said he wasn't aware of the protest until he had arrived Thursday morning in Jefferson City after a trip to St. Louis. He said it would have been better served during the legislative session.
"The reality of it is nothing's going to change until next session on the Medicaid expansion," Parson said. "It simply wasn't funded and wasn't in the budget. We approved the budget — it wasn't there."
Brigman-Mahaney said the decision handed down by Beetem was disappointing, but she ultimately expected the fight to go to the state Supreme Court no matter what was decided. She said she has faith the legal system will rule in favor of the expansion.
Brigman-Mahaney said the protest was in development for a couple of weeks.
"We knew one way or the other people would need a place to go on July 1 to either get information or have their stories heard," she said.
United Auto Workers, Services Employees International Union Healthcare, Planned Parenthood and NARAL and Missouri Healthcare for All were standing in support of the protest, which also featured individuals looking to make their voices heard.
Laura Valentne, a supporter from Lebanon, said she was there to hold state government officials accountable to the amendment voters passed.
Bonni Herman, a supporter from Jefferson City, said it is cruel and embarrassing for the government not to fund the Medicaid expansion at a time of budget surplus.
"Amendment 2 passed, but the Missouri legislators think they are trying to save us from ourselves," Herman said. "They're just not going to do the will of the voters, but I'm very heartened that people are upset and want health care for everybody."
Bernice Noble and David Green, supporters from Ste. Genevieve, said they traveled to express their support for people they know who don't have insurance and would benefit from the expansion.
State Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, also attended the rally.
"I'm glad to see the crowd. A lot of people in Missouri are pretty aware of the impact of not expanding Medicaid," Meredith said. "I think everybody can understand, also, the pretty clear indication that our votes were ignored."
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Crowd rallies for Medicaid expansion - Fulton Sun
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