SierraScape Spring 2020
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BY ASHTON KUEHNEL
Democracy Organizer

Missouri is one of fourteen states to not expand the federal Medicaid insurance program, leaving over 200,000 Missourians without access to healthcare. Tired of our State Legislature's inaction, the Sierra Club and our coalition members launched an initiative petition campaign to put this issue on the November 2020 ballot.

Why has the Sierra Club joined this campaign? We recognize that climate change is causing more health problems for Missourians. Health insurance coverage helps mitigate those impacts for our most vulnerable neighbors. Health threats include: increased risk of heat stroke and heat related cardiovascular disease complications, more infections from vector-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus and Lyme disease, and asthma complications from air pollution, which disproportionately impacts low income and African American communities. As our state transitions to a clean energy economy, we need to guarantee access to health coverage for all workers and communities.

The Sierra Club is no stranger to the initiative petition process. Since the campaign launched in August of 2019, 45 members and volunteers have gathered over 5,800 signatures for the Healthcare for Missouri campaign. Our top circulators (as of February 2020) are George Stair - 334, John Bohney - 205, Gloria Garidel - 143, and Jim Turner - 89. We thank them for their work!

Intern Adam Hemauer collects signatures for Medicaid expansion at Affinia Health Care Center. Photo by: Ashton Kuehnel

Even though the qualification portion of the campaign is wrapping up, we still need to educate voters for the November election. Our Republican legislators in Jefferson City have made attacking our democracy a priority this legislative session. As of February 19, 2020, we have seen five bills filed to overturn the redistricting portion of the Clean Missouri amendment, which was passed by voters with 62% support in 2018. The new proposals would not only overturn the will of voters, but also set up Missouri to become one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. Additionally, the proposed redistricting process would not account for Missouri children, which will leave a large and important portion of our population uncounted.

Fair redistricting would mean elected officials would have to pay attention to what Missouri voters want. For example - Missourians support the environment - just look at the statewide votes on the Parks, Soil, and Water Tax in 2016 and the Renewable Energy Standard in 2008. Because of gerrymandered lines, politicians felt they could ignore the voters – so those politicians turned around and voted to sell off Eleven Point State Park and weaken the Renewable Energy Standard. That is not how democracy is supposed to work.

We believe that voters should choose the politicians, NOT that politicians should be able to choose which voters they want. We anticipate that our Governor will disregard voters and make us vote yet again on this issue in August.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Contact Ashton Kuehnel at Ashton.kuehnel@sierraclub.org.