1
Parsons S nu
Page 4Weekend, Saturday-Sunday, April 27-28, 2019
PUBLIC MIND: Letters may be emailed to:
[email protected]
or [email protected] include your name, address and
daytime phone number.
Politics and poker, politics and poker. Shuffl e up the cards
and fi nd the joker. Neither game’s for children; either game is
rough. De-cisions, decisions, like who to pick, how to play, what
to bet, when to call a bluff.
Fiorello, 1959
Sixty years ago, “Fiorello,” the musical based on the career of
New York city’s feisty mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, premiered on
Broadway. It was a smash hit, and six decades later, “Politics and
Poker” remains its most memorable tune, catchy and true.
Kansans can watch a classic poker game over the next couple
weeks, a “Texas Hold’em” show-down between Gov. Laura Kelly and
Sen. Presi-dent Susan Wagle. The results of this high-stakes game
will determine, at least for 2019, whether Kansas will expand
Medicaid or continue to reject the fi nancial benefi ts that come
with it.
The governor and the senate president are wor-thy, veteran
adversaries, with contrasting policy worldviews and very different
political situations. Kelly, less than 11 months after announcing
her candidacy for governor, won a clear victory over Kris Kobach,
even though an independent si-phoned off 6% of the vote.
Wagle observed that Kelly had not received more than half the
vote, and thus had no mandate. Kelly smiled a knowing smile from
Cedar Crest.
Wagle’s political imperative derives from her desire to become a
U.S. senator, replacing the retiring Pat Roberts. With her Wichita
base and conservative record, she may be viable, but no shoo-in.
And here’s the rub. Medicaid expansion — in various polls, in a
host of editorials from around the state, and given the results of
a solid favorable vote in the Kansas House — is downright popular.
Moreover, it’s likely that there are at least 21 votes, a
constitutional majority, to pass expansion in the Kansas Senate.
And its chances increased this past week when the gov-ernor allowed
a Farm Bureau “non-insurance bill” to become law, thus potentially
winning additional backing.
This is where another player comes into the game. Senate
Minority Leader Anthony Hensley has essentially said, “let’s see
what you’ve got,” by fi ling a motion to move the Medicaid bill out
of committee. That takes 24 votes. No one knows if the votes are
there, but Gov. Kelly, Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers and outside groups have
pushed hard over the legislative recess to build support.
While Wagle seems a clear “no,” other Republican senators
under-stand that, per Kelly’s win and Sharice Davids’ victory in
the KS-3 House race, the context of the 2020 election is changing,
especially in Johnson County. And other highly conservative states,
such as Indi-ana and Arkansas, have expanded Medicaid. So perhaps
some senators might hedge their bets, explaining how small-town
hospitals and rural areas will benefi t.
Moreover, Kelly is the state’s chief executive, with the ability
to of-fer legislators inducements unrelated to Medicaid expansion.
Overall, she holds better cards than does Sen. Wagle, whose only
action is to obstruct.
As the last cards fl op on the table, both leaders have a lot at
stake, but not everything. Gov. Kelly can live to fi ght another
day, given that she is just in the fi rst few months of her tenure.
More importantly, Sen. Wagle does not actually need to win on this
issue. What’s central is the position she takes in the fi ght. She
needs the support of far-right Republicans to win the nomination
for the U.S. Senate. Win or lose, if she holds tight to her
opposing position, she likely maintains this base.
Thus, there could be two winners: the governor on policy and the
Senate president on politics. So, let’s see the cards.
Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at
the University of Kansas.
PUBLIC MIND
Politics and poker
WHERE TO WRITE: WASHINGTON, D.C.
Rep. Steve Watkins, (Republican) 1205 Longworth House Office
Building, Wash-ington, D.C., 20515; phone: (202) 225-6601;
PITTSBURG: 402 N. Broad-way, Suite B, Pittsburg, KS, 66762; phone:
(620) 231-5966.
WATKINS
Sen. Jerry Moran, (Repub-lican) Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Room 521, Washing-ton, D.C., 20510; phone: (202)
224-6521;PITTSBURG: 306 N. Broad-dway, Suite 125, Pittsburg, KS,
66762; phone: (620) 232-2286.
MORAN
Sen. Pat Rob-erts, (Repub-lican) 109 Hart Senate Office
Building, Wash-ington, D.C., 20510; phone: (202) 224-4774; TOPEKA:
Frank Carlson Federal Building, 444 S.E. Quincy, Room 392, Topeka,
KS, 66683;phone: (785) 295-2745.
ROBERTS
President Donald Trump, (Republican) 1600 Penn-sylvania Ave.
N.W., Wash-ington, D.C., 20500; phone (switchboard):(202) 456-1414;
(comments) (202) 456-1111;Comment page:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact#page
TRUMP
Bloodmobile receives 97 unitsTo The Sun:The American Red Cross
blood drive took place April 18 and 19
at First Christian Church in Parsons with a total of 97 units of
blood donated. The drive did not reach the goal established by the
Red Cross, which is based on the number of appointments scheduled,
but the event was still a success. The 97 units of blood may save
as many as 291 lives. The Red Cross staff was again effi cient, and
the event fl owed (pardon the pun) smoothly.
I wish to thank the Elks Lodge auxiliary for supplying the
deli-cious homemade cookies for this drive. They were enjoyed by
all who sampled them. Even though sandwiches are always a part of
the snacks at the canteen area for donors to enjoy, the homemade
cookies add a special touch. Thanks again.
There are several volunteers who help to make the blood drive a
successful event. Many thanks to them for their efforts.
Those reaching gallon levels at this event were: Morris
Cares,
29 gallons; Lyle Lomas, 15; Juanita Alloway, 14; Laura Hummer,
nine; Brian Collins, six; Amy Janssen-Montee, four; Allison
Ibbet-son, three; and Joe King, one. I congratulate you on your
continued support of this important program.
The next blood drive will be from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, June
18, and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, at the First
Christian Church, 29th and Southern. Please plan to make time to
support this important program and make an appointment to donate
blood to help those in need.
To make an appointment, please call 1-800-REDCROSS, or go
on-line to www.redcross.org. If you need assistance in making an
appointment, please call me at (620) 778-6483, leave a message, and
I will return your call to make arrangements.
It is easy for each of us to save lives by doing such a simple
thing. If you have never participated, please come to the event to
see how it all takes place. I hope to see you there. — DEAN CRAMER,
Par-sons bloodmobile coordinator
The people of Kansas need Medicaid ex-pansion to increase access
to care for mental health or substance use treatment. This is
needed for economic development, delay-ing inevitable closures or
consolidations of health care organizations like community mental
health centers or hospitals and to become part of the majority of
states in our country that have chosen to expand Medic-aid. But
this issue is really about access to care.
Mental health treatment providers in Kansas need the Kansas
Legislature to pass legislation allowing our state to expand the
Kansas Medicaid program. Mental health and substance use treatment
are no differ-ent from any other part of health care. When someone
presents for treatment, we need to take advantage of the
opportunity to do what we can to help him or her. According to the
Mayo Clinic, “mental illness refers to a wide range of mental
health conditions that affect your mood, thinking and behavior” and
can be caused by inherited traits from family members,
environmental exposures before birth, or brain chemistry. Americans
are seeking behavioral health treatment at high-er rates than in
the past, and Kansas is no different. For example, Community Mental
Health Centers (CMHCs) are treating more Kansans than ever before
with an increase of over 10% in the last fi ve years and 27% in the
last 10 years.
Medicaid expansion in Kansas will save money in the long-term
through timely ac-cess to care. If we think about treatment for
mental health issues and the relationship be-tween mental health
and physical health, the
sooner patients access mental health treat-ment, the healthier
they will be physically. Think of the connection between anxiety
and hypertension or high blood pressure that results in heart
disease as an example. If this patient has health insurance, she or
he will be more likely to seek treatment for her or his anxiety,
which could help lower her or his blood pressure and prevent heart
disease.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in
January 2017, in states that expanded Medicaid the unin-sured share
of substance use or mental health hospitalizations fell from about
20% at the end of 2013 to about 5% by mid-2015. Health care
insurance coverage under Medicaid ex-pansion will expedite access
to treatment by allowing for more focus on outpatient treat-ment
when inpatient costs for treating unin-sured Kansans drop.
Opponents of Medicaid expansion regu-larly refer to the example
of an unemployed 26-year-old who chooses to sit in his
grand-mother’s basement eating pizza and playing video games rather
than working and ob-taining his own health insurance. In visiting
with many of our state mental health leaders who have decades of
experience providing treatment and therapy in Kansas, not one of
them told me that this is just a lazy guy who chooses not to work.
They each said some-thing along the lines of, “There is something
going on with that guy, and we could help him.” Whether it is an
anxiety disorder or major depression, case management could connect
him to treatment and also potential-ly employment, at which point
he no longer needs Medicaid as his primary insurance.
As I conclude, we have to keep in mind the number of lives our
state is losing to a suicide epidemic that is nothing short of a
crisis. According to the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment (KDHE) Sum-mary of Vital Statistics, suicide is the
second highest cause of death among people from age 15 to 44, and
those numbers have been going up the last fi ve years. This is
higher than heart disease, cancer, or homicide, and I have confi
dence that expanding Medicaid to provide coverage and access to
more young people could help prevent this loss of life our state is
experiencing at an alarming rate.
Not participating in a program that would increase access to
mental health treatment and make Kansans healthier with funding
from the federal government is like turning down federal highway
money that improves roads and makes travelers safer, or turning
down agricultural subsidies that help make food safer and cheaper.
Surrounding states are all participating in federal programs that
provide greater access and funding for be-havioral health.
Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa and Arkansas have all expanded Medicaid
programs, while Missouri and Oklahoma are participating in a
behavioral health specifi c federal program that Kansas chose not
to pur-sue four years ago. Medicaid expansion is the only door
remaining open to increasing ac-cess to mental health care through
which we cannot only improve lives but also save them, and we as a
state should walk through it.
Kyle Kessler is executive director for the Association of
Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas.
BURDETTLOOMIS
Insight Kansas
Mental health needs medicaid expansion in Kansas
WHERE TO WRITE: KANSAS LAWMAKERS
REP. RICHARD PROEHL,(Republican, District 7)Address: Room 581-W,
Statehouse, Topeka, KS 66612-1504;Phone: (785) 296-7639; E-mail:
[email protected]
PROEHL
REP. RICHARD PROEHL
LabetteMontgomeryChetopa
Coffeyville
Oswego
Parsons
BartlettEdna
Liberty
Mound Valley
Altamont
Labette
59
160
166
169
160
59
400
WA
L LAC
ER
D
4000TH RD
W 1ST ST
CR
4550
WIL
LOW
ST
PA
CIF
ICS
T
5 300
THR
D
1200TH RD
SEATON RD
SW
134T
HS
T
E0010 RD NATION RD
CO
UN
TYR
D43
00
4000TH RD
AN
DE
RS
ON
RD
10TH RD
LabetteMontgomeryChetopa
Coffeyville
Oswego
Parsons
BartlettEdna
Liberty
Mound Valley
Altamont
Labette
0 7.020
miles
124
125
123122
120
118
115
119
117
110
111
113
112
109
116
114101
108
107
104
73
93
90
69 71
80
79
85
7274
106
77
65
70
68
64 67
75
51
61
76
60
50
62
47
4554
59
38
4310
42
63
House District 7Labette County: Cities: Altamont, Bartlett,
Edna, Labette, Mound Valley, Oswego, and Parsons;
Townships: Canada, Elm Grove, Fairview, Hackberry, Howard,
Labette, Liberty, Montana,Mound Valley, Mount Pleasant, Neosho,
North, Osage, Oswego, Richland (part), and Walton
Montgomery County: Cities: Coffeyville (part) and
Liberty;Townships: Cherokee, Liberty (part), Parker (part)
District
StreetsHighwaysCity LimitsCountyCity & District Boundary
Legend
2012 Legislative District Profiles, Kansas Legislative Research
Department
7th House
District
GODDARD
SEN. DAN GODDARD, (Republican, District 15)Address: Room 541-E,
Statehouse, Tope-ka, KS 66612-1504;Phone: (785) 296-7742;E-mail:
[email protected]
SEN. DAN GODDARD,
Montgomery Labette
Neosho
Parsons
Walnut
Oswego
Edna
Thayer
Caney
Tyro
Chanute
Havana
BartlettDearing
Coffeyville
Liberty
Cherryvale
Mound Valley
Altamont
Galesburg
Earlton Erie
Stark
St. Paul
Labette
Independence
AN
DE
RS
ON
RD
2700
THR
D
COUNTY RD 4800
EC
OU
NTY
LIN
ER
D
UD
ALL
RD
9000TH RD
W 530TH AVE
S10TH
ST
6600TH RD
SW
134THS
T
250TH RDAllen
1200TH RD
400
75
75
59
166
160
59
169
166
160
Montgomery Labette
Neosho
Parsons
Walnut
Oswego
Edna
Thayer
Caney
Tyro
Chanute
Havana
BartlettDearing
Coffeyville
Liberty
Cherryvale
Mound Valley
Altamont
Galesburg
Earlton Erie
Stark
St. Paul
Labette
Independence
8.881
miles
0
39
38
33
40 361
22
24
35 1719
2 3
37
12
13
34 31
14
32
Senate District 15Neosho CountyAllen County: Township:
Logan(part - one zero population block)Labette County: Cities:
Altamont, Bartlett, Edna, Labette, Mound Valley,
Oswego and Parsons;Townships: Canada, Elm Grove, Fairview,
Hackberry, Howard, Labette, Liberty,
Montana, Mound Valley, Mount Pleasant, Neosho,
North,Osage(part), Oswego and Walton
Montgomery County: Cities: Caney, Cherryvale, Coffeyville,
Dearing, Havana,Independence, Liberty and Tyro;
Townships: Caney, Cherokee, Cherry, Drum Creek,Fawn Creek,
Independence, Liberty,Louisburg(part), Parker,
Rutland(part),Sycamore and West Cherry
District
StreetsHighwaysCity LimitsCountyCity & District Boundary
Legend
2012 Legislative District Profiles, Kansas Legislative Research
Department
15th Senate
District
HILDERBRAND
SEN. RICHARD HILDERBRAND,(Republican, District 13)Address: Room
224-E, Statehouse, Tope-ka, KS 66612-1504;Phone: (785)
296-7370;e-mail: [email protected]
SEN. RICHARD HILDERBRANDCherokeeLabette
Crawford
Bourbon
Chicopee
Cherokee
Pittsburg
Frontenac
Galena
McCune
Lowell
Riverton
Columbus
Roseland
ScammonWest Mineral
Girard
Walnut
Hepler
Weir
Arcadia
Mulberry
Arma
Franklin
Fort Scott
ChetopaTreece Baxter Springs
S270TH
ST
267THTE
R
UD
ALL
RD
9000TH RD
STA
TELI N
ER
D
SW
134T
HS
T
W 530TH AVE
S10
THS
T
GRAND RD
E 10TH RD
160
166
6959
160
69
400
69
54
Cherokee
Labette
Crawford
Bourbon
Chicopee
Cherokee
Pittsburg
Frontenac
Galena
McCune
Lowell
Riverton
Columbus
Roseland
ScammonWest Mineral
Girard
Walnut
Hepler
Weir
Arcadia
Mulberry
Arma
Franklin
Fort Scott
ChetopaTreece Baxter Springs
9.025
miles
0
22 218
2019
17
24
35
3640
39
38
33
34
26
32
1631
14
15
12
37
9
3
1
Senate District 13Cherokee and Crawford CountiesBourbon County:
City: Fort Scott(part);
Townships: Drywood, Pawnee, Scott(part) and WalnutLabette
County: City: Chetopa;
Township: Richland
District
StreetsHighwaysCity LimitsCountyCity & District Boundary
Legend
2012 Legislative District Profiles, Kansas Legislative Research
Department
13th Senate
District
COLLINS
REP. KEN COLLINS,(Democrat, District 2)Address: Room 167-W,
Statehouse, Topeka, KS 66612-1504;Phone: (785) 296-7698;E-mail:
[email protected]
REP. KEN COLLINS
Allen
Bourbon
CrawfordNeosho
Savonburg
McCune
Frontenac
Franklin
Arma
Mulberry
Arcadia
Moran
Elsmore
Cherokee
Pittsburg
Bronson
Erie
Girard
Uniontown
Hepler
Stark
Mildred
Walnut
Galesburg
St. Paul
54
160
400
59
57
69
59
S160TH
ST
E 540TH AVE
S180TH
ST
E 580TH AVE
267THS
T
3 400
THS
T
250TH RD
W 730TH AVE
110THS
T115TH
ST
1 5TH
ST
QUAIL RD
27000TH RD
IRV
ING
RD
Allen
Bourbon
CrawfordNeosho
Savonburg
McCune
Frontenac
Franklin
Arma
Mulberry
Arcadia
Moran
Elsmore
Cherokee
Pittsburg
Bronson
Erie
Girard
Uniontown
Hepler
Stark
Mildred
Walnut
Galesburg
St. Paul
0 11.02
miles
124
125
123122
120
118
115
119
117
110
111
113
112
109
116
114101
108
107
104
73
93
90
69 71
80
79
85
7274
106
77
65
70
68
64 67
75
51
61
76
60
50
62
47
4554
59
38
4310
42
63
House District 2Allen County: Cities: Elsmore, Mildred, Moran
and Savonburg;
Townships: Elsmore, Marmaton and OsageBourbon County: Cities:
Bronson and Uniontown;
Townships: Marion and WalnutCrawford County: Cities: Arcadia ,
Arma, Cherokee, Franklin,
Frontenac, Girard, Hepler, McCune, Mulberry and
Walnut;Townships: Crawford, Grant, Lincoln, Osage, Sheridan
(part),Sherman, Walnut and Washington (part)
Neosho County: Cities: Erie, Galesburg, St. Pauland
Stark;Townships: Big Creek, Centerville, Erie, Grant, Ladore,
Lincoln,Mission and Walnut Grove
District
StreetsHighwaysCity LimitsCountyCity & District Boundary
Legend
2012 Legislative District Profiles, Kansas Legislative Research
Department
2nd House
District
HOUSER
REP. MICHAEL HOUSER,(Republican, District 1)Address: Room 179-N,
Statehouse, Topeka, KS 66612-1504;Phone: (785) 296-7679;E-mail:
[email protected]
REP. MICHAEL HOUSER
Labette Cherokee
Chetopa
Columbus
Lowell
Baxter Springs
GalenaRiverton
West Mineral
Treece
Roseland
Weir
Scammon
WA
LLA
CE
RD
SW
134T
HS
T
NE
118THS
T
STATE HIGHWAY 57
4000TH RD
59
400
400
400
69
400
160
166
400
Labette Cherokee
Chetopa
Columbus
Lowell
Baxter Springs
GalenaRiverton
West Mineral
Treece
Roseland
Weir
Scammon
0 5.723
miles
124
125
123122
120
118
115
119
117
110
111
113
112
109
116
114101
108
107
104
73
93
90
69 71
80
79
85
7274
106
77
65
70
68
64 67
75
51
61
76
60
50
62
47
4554
59
38
4310
42
63
House District 1Cherokee CountyLabette County: City: Chetopa;
Township: Richland (part)
District
StreetsHighwaysCity LimitsCountyCity & District Boundary
Legend
2012 Legislative District Profiles, Kansas Legislative Research
Department
1st House
District
OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION: 3420 Mosher Road, Parsons CELL PHONE:
(620) 423-0407
OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION: 510 Pine Ridge Road, Parsons CELL
PHONE: (620) 423-1133 OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION:
10337 S.E. 107th Terrace, Galena
OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION: 102 E. First, Mulberry PHONE:(620)
240-0778
OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION: 6891 S.W. 10th, Columbus PHONE:(620)
704-3817
www.kslegislature.org
