1/10 Some thoughts on Medicaid Expansion & the passage of Amendment 2. #MoLeg

6 yrs ago, a couple R’s & I had a conservative plan for expanding Medicaid. It was modeled after what then Gov. Pence had done in IN, but even had additional budgetary protections beyond that.

2/10 @GOVERNING called it “the most conservative plan” to expand Medicaid at that time. That plan, mind you, was statutory, so it could be easily tweaked & modified, or even rolled back if needed, as time went on.

3/10 Not only did it not pass, my colleagues at the time wouldn’t even allow it to come to a vote. Now, 6 yrs later, the voters have bypassed the #MoLeg entirely and put the expansion in the CONSTITUTION. Thanks to inaction, their hands are tied.

4/10 I’m glad people will finally get covered and MO will see an influx of Fed funds, but this could/should have been handled years ago and with much more legislative ability to shape; which highlights another disturbing trend I see in my Party...

5/10 Voters raised Min Wage due to legislative inaction.

Voters legalized Medical Marijuana due to legislative inaction.

Voters reversed Right to Work because the legislature forced it when they didn’t want it.

Now, voters expanded Medicaid due to legislative inaction

6/10 Seems like this would blowback on legislators, right? Wrong. The electorate is so polarized and entrenched for “their team” that they will directly enact their will on ballot measures, but candidates keep winning so nobody learns and the cycle is just rinse/repeat.

7/10 If the @MOGOP wants to maintain control long term, they need to quit writing off the suburbs. The suburbs gave us the Majority in 2002/2004. As rural numbers increased, the suburbs got pushed aside.

8/10 When I left the Senate, my seat flipped. When @mojeanevans left the House, her seat flipped. Last night, Clay, Platte, St. Charles & Greene Counties put Amendment 2 over the top. Ignore the suburbs at your own peril.

9/10 I know some will react poorly and be upset at me pointing these things out, but I hope it’s a teachable moment. Thanks to term limits, many serving now don’t remember these things.

10/10 I hope this is the awakening needed to tackle problems as they arise instead of avoiding them for some philosophical purity test. Otherwise, the voters have shown they will tackle them for you & make you deal with the fallout.