Medicaid Next Steps
First, take a minute to celebrate! Senate File 154 “Medicaid expansion with federal match requirements” passed the Senate Labor Health Committee with a 3-2 vote and advanced to the Senate floor. A Medicaid Expansion bill has not made it to the floor of the Wyoming senate in half a decade. This was a tough committee; hopes were not high it would pass. For anyone who listened to the hearing it was obvious emails and testimony from the public made all the difference.
Read the Story:
New funding, public outcry prompt Wyoming Senate committee to advance Medicaid bill
Our partners in the Healthy Wyoming movement need ALL OF US to take action now. As always they’ve made it easy to do.
We need to keep pushing—first, to make sure the Senate decides to hear SF-154 (they could choose to ignore it) and, second, to make sure it passes!
Will you take two minutes and use this quick and easy form to write your local state senator and ask them to SUPPORT SF-154 and affordable healthcare access in Wyoming?
CLICK HERE TO WRITE YOUR SENATOR
The form is easy to use, and it includes tips and talking points for writing your Wyoming senator.
House Medicaid Bill
A second Medicaid expansion bill – House Bill 162, “Medical treatment opportunity act – is moving through the House and is scheduled for a hearing before the House Labor Health Committee at 8 a.m. next Wednesday, March 17.
The two bills would, in effect, do the same thing. The best chance of getting a Medicaid Expansion bill this session is to keep pushing on both of them.
- Rep. Jamie Flitner (HD 26, representing parts of Big Horn and Park counties) is on this committee and considered a swing vote. See the action guide (http://bit.ly/flitner) and share it, especially with folks in House District 26, asking them to contact Rep. Flitner.
- Sign up to testify at the Wednesday hearing at this link: If the Wednesday hearings aren’t posted yet, just check back.
- Contact members of the House committee and voice your support for HB 162.
- Rep. Sue Wilson: Chairperson (Laramie County) Sue.Wilson@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. Andi Clifford (Fremont County) Andrea.Clifford@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. Cathy Connolly (Albany County) Cathy.Connolly@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. Jamie Flitner (Big Horn & Park Counties) Jamie.Flitner@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. Tim Hallinan (Campbell County) Tim.Hallinan@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. Pepper Ottman (Fremont County) Pepper.Ottman@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. John Romero-Martinez (Laramie County) John.Romero-Martinez@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. Clarence Styvar (Laramie County) Clarence.Styvar@wyoleg.gov
- Rep. Robert Wharff (Uinta County) Robert.Wharff@wyoleg.gov
Death Penalty Repeal
Death penalty repeal advocates are saying we’ve never been closer to repealing the death penalty in Wyoming. Senate File 150 Death penalty repeal was supported in the Senate’s Revenue Committee by 4 our of 5 members and is now on the floor of the Senate. Your Senator needs to know you support death penalty repeal and you want the full Senate to hear it (if the first reading doesn’t happen by the 18th the bill is dead)
ACLU of Wyoming has created a form to quickly send your State Senator a message
https://action.aclu.org/send-message/wy-supportsf150
Wednesday, March 17, is the LAST day for bills to be reported out of Committee in the house of origin.
Monday, March 22, is the LAST day for the third reading (final vote) on bills in their house of origin.
It’s an important week to share your voice on bills important to YOU https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2021