Cantwell rallies support to fight Medicaid cuts
Washington U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell says proposed cuts to the Medicaid program could have a devastating effect on health care in rural areas.
Cantwell held a roundtable in Spokane yesterday to listen to stories from Medicaid patients such as Elisanne McCutchen. She receives health care at the NEW Health clinic in the Stevens County town of Springdale.
“Before I came out here from Tennessee, I was having to run all over the place to try and see a specialist. I don’t have to do that here. So, because my condition is properly managed, the rest of my health has improved as well," she said.
She says, without the clinic in her town, her life would be more difficult.
If Medicaid suffers severe budget cuts, NEW Health may have to close the doors of McCutchen’s and at least a couple of other northeast Washington clinics. The agency’s CEO, Desiree Sweeney, says that would have ripple effects on the other providers.
"Elimination of Medicaid would not only affect Medicaid patients, but private sector, private employers, communities, mom-and-pop businesses. It’s a whole system that would fail. Unintended consequences would be catastrophic," she said.
Cantwell says Congress should have more details in a month about Republican plans to cut $880 billion dollars in spending and which programs would hardest hit.
Idaho House passes 'medical freedom' discrimination protections
It’ll be up to Gov. Brad Little whether private businesses in Idaho can refuse to serve customers or hire employees who don’t treat their own health conditions.
House lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1023 Wednesday to implement such a ban. It would also apply to public and private schools, as well as every government entity in the state.
“When this bill is signed into law, Idaho will have the best health freedom laws in the country,” said Rep. Robert Beiswenger (R-Horseshoe Bend), one of its chief sponsors.
The proposal significantly broadens an existing law banning COVID vaccine mandates to include any “medical treatment.”
Vaccines, medications and all other tactics used to treat communicable diseases fall under the definition of “medical treatment.”
The bill exempts businesses whose employees travel internationally and are required to get particular vaccinations to enter certain countries. Clinics and hospitals that accept Medicare or Medicaid funds would also be exempt.
House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel (D-Boise) said the proposal goes too far.
“[This bill] says they can’t make you bandage oozing wounds, that they can’t make you get lice treatments, that they can’t make you cover your mouth if you have ebola and you’re coughing on people,” Rubel said.
She and other Democrats in the Idaho legislature have tried for more than a decade to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the state’s anti-discrimination law to no avail.
“I was told that that was way too much of an infringement on the freedom of the private sector,” Rubel said, calling the different attitude on this issue “quite stunning.”
“I’m all for personal medical freedom,” said Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen (R-Idaho Falls), one of 14 Republicans to vote against the bill.
“What I am concerned about is that that personal medical freedom then puts other people at risk, businesses at risk, their reputations at risk,” Mickelsen said.
She gave a hypothetical example of businesses not being able to turn away someone with an active measles case.
“I want to meet the person who can diagnose measles when a person walks in their door, in their business,” said Rep. Cornel Rasor (R-Sagle).
Rep. Lucas Cayler (R-Caldwell) agreed, saying the argument that this policy would supercharge the spread of communicable diseases is “negligible.”
“Because it’s a part of life. It’s always been a part of life. It’s what makes us human,” said Cayler. “We have immune systems and those immune systems, by and large, regulate.”
The proposal already passed the Senate. Once it hits Gov. Little’s desk, he’ll have five days to sign, veto or let the bill pass into law without his signature.
Top Ferguson aide resigns over hostile workplace allegations
Another top advisor has left Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s team.
Chief strategy officer Mike Webb resigned yesterday amid complaints that he was responsible for a toxic workplace culture that contributed to departure of another key administration official less than a week ago.
Webb has worked as an advisor to Ferguson in office and during campaigns for more than a decade.
Until yesterday, Webb was the lead advisor on policy, legislative and communications work for the governor.
The Washington State Standard reports that following the departure of Ferguson’s legislative director, Joyce Bruce, on Friday, several lawmakers — most of them women — raised concerns that Webb’s management style may have been part of the reason for her departure.
"I deeply regret that the allegations of a hostile work environment have created an unhelpful distraction that impacts the team’s ability to do their work, as well as my ability to be effective in the near term," Webb wrote in his resignation letter.
"To be blunt, given the stakes of the work ahead, I cannot stomach that," he wrote.
SNAP restrictions advance through ID legislature
A bill to cut candy and soda from the list of items you can buy with federal food benefits is one step away from the governor’s desk.
Retailers, soda bottlers and grocers oppose the bill, saying it would be too complicated to implement. They’ve also said it goes against Idaho’s commitment to individual freedoms.
Republican Sen. Brian Lenney (R-Nampa) said he doesn't buy that argument.
"I see lobbyists who represent big corporations coming in here trying to protect profits for their clients, which is their job," Lenney said. "But that’s not my job, so I’m going to be a yes on this."
Republican Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld (R-Jerome) supports the concept but said it won’t solve the problem. Instead, she offered a solution from her "perfect world."
"And it’s biblical: if you don’t work, you don’t eat," she said. "That would fix our obesity problem right there, not to mention it’ll help our workforce problem."
The bill now goes to the Senate.
Big volleyball tournament this weekend; new training facility planned
During the next two weekends, about 800 girls’ volleyball teams will be in Spokane with dreams of qualifying for national tournaments.
To get there, they’ll have to win the Pacific Northwest Qualifier. The tournament will be held at four venues: the Spokane Convention Center, the Podium, the HUB Sports Center in Spokane Valley and Eastern Washington University in Cheney.
Local teams sometimes have challenges in finding places to practice. That’s why the competition’s organizer, April Stark, is endorsing plans by Spokane Public Schools and the city Parks Department to build an indoor facility next to Franklin Park. It would include volleyball courts.
“Something like that, whether it’s volleyball, basketball, pickleball, tennis, whatever they can do inside this facility, that’s a win-win for everyone, I think," she said.
The indoor facility would be part of a new Madison Elementary School. It’s one of dozens of projects that would be funded by two November ballot measures, one proposed by the school district, the other by the Parks Department.
This weekend’s volleyball tournament will feature teams with 16, 17 and 18-year-old girls. Next weekend will be for girls ages 11-to-15.
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Reporting contributed by Doug Nadvornick, James Dawson and Owen Henderson.