What we’re watching: January 2023 legislative update in Kansas, Missouri

Welcome to the first installment of our monthly legislative updates, where we work to inform you on key legislation as it progresses, stalls, or dies out. Furthermore, we work to directly tie our updates to our new policy agendas for 2023 and 2024 in Kansas and Missouri, as well as how they advance — or undermine — the strategy laid out in our purpose plan released last year.

Even though the legislative sessions in Kansas and Missouri are just getting underway, an incredible amount of activity has been taking place in Topeka and Jefferson City. With that in mind, let’s get started with discussing what’s been happening in Kansas.

What’s top of mind in Kansas:

• Medicaid expansion is very unlikely to be adopted in Kansas, despite the immense benefits to all Kansans. It’s our view that introduced legislation is unlikely to get a hearing as opponents of expanding KanCare control leadership in both houses of the Kansas Legislature.
• Gov. Laura Kelly has pushed to immediately eliminate the food sales tax this year after legislation was adopted in 2022 to phase it out by 2025. The governor’s new proposal would provide families immediate relief from the food sales tax, as well as eliminate the sales tax on feminine hygiene products and diapers.
• An onslaught of legislation that will add unnecessary voting barriers are being heard and considered in the Kansas House Elections Committee. These bills would only serve to make voting more difficult for every voting Kansan, but especially for Kansans of color.

People policy goal: People can easily access safe, quality, and affordable whole-person care.

In addition to this legislation, Health Forward hosted a day at the statehouse in Topeka on Jan. 26. We organized a panel to discuss community health workers in Kansas and welcomed about a dozen partner organizations as well as 10 legislators. We are advocating that Kansas takes up a state plan amendment to ensure work done by community health workers receives stable funding through Medicaid.

Power policy goal: Participation in our democracy and policymaking process improves health outcomes.

Place policy goal: Our communities are healthy place where people fully participate in the digital economy and build wealth through safe, quality, and affordable housing and homeownership.

At this point, we aren’t tracking any relevant legislation that pertains to digital equity or wealth building through homeownership. During such time when legislation is introduced, we will consult with partners and consider what our stance on the bill may be most appropriate.

Platform Policy Goal: Community health is influenced by systems, policies, and stories that promote racial equity and economic inclusion.

While these bills are some of the ones we’re most focused on, there are more included in our Kansas Bill Tracker.

What’s top of mind in Missouri:

• Once again, the General Assembly is taking up Senate Joint Resolution 4, that would subject Medicaid expansion to the annual appropriations process and add harmful work requirements to the program. This legislation is identical to HJR 117 from 2022. Health Forward is adamantly opposed.
• The Missouri House sent HJR 43 to the Missouri Senate. It raises the threshold to pass a citizen initiative petition to 60 percent of votes, over the current simple majority. “Reforming” the citizen initiative petition process has been a key goal of some legislators for the past couple of sessions. Health Forward opposes these changes as they seek to remove the ability of voters to directly influence policy.
• There is a bipartisan effort to extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers and their children from the current 60 days to a full year. This is key to helping reduce maternal mortality rates overall, as well as disparities in these deaths by race and ethnicity. Health Forward supports these efforts.

People policy goal: People can easily access safe, quality, and affordable whole-person care.

Power policy goal: Participation in our democracy and policymaking process improves health outcomes.

Place policy goal: Our communities are healthy place where people fully participate in the digital economy and build wealth through safe, quality, and affordable housing and homeownership.

Platform policy goal: Community health is influenced by systems, policies, and stories that promote racial equity and economic inclusion.

While these bills are some of the ones we’re most focused on, there are more included in our Missouri Bill Tracker.