(Jan. 12, 2024) – Earlier this week, the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session officially commenced. While much of the week consisted of legislators settling into their offices and getting reacquainted with their colleagues, we did have the opportunity to hear Governor Laura Kelly present her annual State of the State Address. The highly anticipated occasion is attended by members of the Kansas Legislature and allows the governor to share her legislative priorities for the year. Governor Kelly opened the address with reflections on last year's speech, highlighting the momentum of four years of balanced budgets, four years of funding schools and a year that saw the announcement of significant manufacturing investment. She also stressed that while achieving is hard, sustaining is harder. Governor Kelly focused on the link between the needs of rural Kansas and its counterparts in urban areas, saying, "When rural Kansas is strong, all Kansas is strong." With her remaining few years as governor, she expressed her commitment to focusing on issues of importance to rural Kansas.
On the health care front, Governor Kelly renewed her call for Medicaid expansion. She encouraged the Kansas Legislature to listen to the majority of Kansans who support Medicaid expansion and hold a hearing on the topic by Kansas Day. Governor Kelly recognized the challenging financial health of many Kansas hospitals and pointed to the recent closures of the Herrington Hospital and the Fort Scott emergency room. While acknowledging Medicaid expansion is not a silver bullet to resolve the financial woes of Kansas hospitals, she said that the problem cannot be solved without it.
The governor also highlighted several non-health care related initiatives she would like to pursue in 2024. These ranged from keeping public schools fully funded, investing in early childcare and daycare for working parents, financing a state water plan and adopting a responsible tax plan. On first blush, it seems as though several of these policies should reasonably make their way through the legislative process. Unfortunately, it is never that simple … especially in an election year. The 2024 Kansas legislative session will require elected leaders, in the legislature and the governor's office, to put aside partisan politics and commit to doing the right thing. Governor Kelly fittingly ended her address with a quote from Kansas' own Ted Lasso: "You know the happiest animal on earth? A goldfish. It has a 10-second memory. So be a goldfish." Time will only tell whether our elected leaders are willing to forget the divisions of the past and focus on the opportunities of the future to make Kansas the best state in the nation.
And one final reminder, Tuesday, Jan. 16, is KHA's 2024 Advocacy Day. If you have not yet registered, there is still an opportunity to register online. We have a great agenda and will have an opportunity to hear from several elected leaders. We hope to see you next week!
--Chad Austin