Friday, October 19, 2018

Your vote for state races are more important than you think for health care and choice

What is the big deal about these midterms? Donald Trump is not on the ballot and aren't the big issues decided in Washington? OK, a vote for my Congressperson we send to the House of Representatives is understandable. In Colorado, there is no  US Senate race this year.  What does a governor, the attorney general, secretary of  state and our  legislature have to do with these national issues  such as affordable health care insurance, social security and Medicare, and Roe v Wade ?The answer is  tmuch more than you might think. 

 This next year the US  Supreme Court could rule Obamacare  (ACA) is unconstitutional  and throw affordable health insurance out the window, including coverage of pre-existing conditions.  Got high blood pressure, cancer in your past, pregnant? Heads up. The Trump administration, speaking out of both sides of its mouth,  is promising pre-existing coverage while backing  a court cases that would end it and they just allowed states to issue insurance that would not  cover pre-existing conditions.  Even if laws are passed forbidding insurers to reject insurance coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, the GOP  Congresss has proposed legislation that allowing insurers to  charge you more than you can afford or not even cover treatment. State legislation could be just as sneaky. Even if Obamacare does survive, our state legislature has the power to pass legislation to end Colorado’s Medicaid expansion  to cover the  near very poor.

Twenty GOP State Attorney Generals have joined in a Texas court case to declare the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)  unconstitutional, ending subsidized health insurance  coverage of pre-existing conditions. The Trump administration says they will not fight that suit. The Democratic  Colorado Attorney General candidate Phil Weiser would act to defend  the ACA. His GOP opponent  George Brauchler, is  inclined to leave it to Congress though once he had backed repeal, per a Colorado Pols publication.  

65 or over? The GOP dominated Congress and  Senate Majority Leader. Mitch McConnell,  is  threatening  to cut social security and Medicare to offset ballooning debt .   If the Senate remains red, the only brake  on steamrolling  that anti-senior, anti health consumer  agenda is for  the House gets a Democratic majority. 

The future of  Roe v Wade is on the line in the conservative  dominated US Supreme Court. Roe v Wade put   state  anti abortion laws on hold.   The Governor  can veto or sign into law its legislature passes.  In the Governor’s race, Democrat Jared Polis is pro choice; his opponent Walker Stapleton is pro life and  is mum if he would sign legislation further restricting abortions. In the Attorney General’s race, Democrat Phil Weiser is pro choice. His GOP opponent George Brauchler is pro life and he has left open  whether he would file file a brief  before the Supreme Court urging  repeal  of Roe v Wade. For state legislature candidates, google to find their web sites or media reports. 

Have not voted yet?  Forgot to register on line or by mail by October 29? No problem, no excuses  in Colorado. You can register up to and  on election day , November 6. (visit https://www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/home.xhtml) If you are registered and have not received a mail in ballot, call your county clerk at once. Not sure you know enough to vote?  What are  these amendments ? There is a  bluebook supplied by the state of Colorado  (http://leg.colorado.gov/bluebook) ,  but I also found the I found the Colorado League of Women voters website helpful. lwvcolorado.org/lwv/ 
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https://www.pressherald.com/2018/10/16/mcconnell-calls-ballooning-deficit-very-disturbing-says-medicare-social-security-need-to-be-cut/

https://www.5280.com/2018/09/what-you-need-to-know-about-colorados-attorney-general-candidates/







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