Counting down to bill cutoff

Thursday was a good, though not perfect day.

First, the Senate heard HB 54 Workers’ compensation amendments in Committee of the Whole, assuring the bill of a full debate on the Senate floor by getting it off general file.

Any bill not off general file by the end of the day Friday dies for the session.

The Senate quickly went through the bill and Sen. Charles Scott, as usual, took a few swings at attorneys, a profession he long has made clear that he holds in low regard. But he did manage the bill. It was good to see conservative stalwart Sen. Eli Bebout of Riverton endorse the bill. Sen. Bebout noted that benefits for injured workers have not been increased for many years and said it is time to do so.

Children’s health insurance

Timing still tight

Over in the House, supporters of a bill that will expand the KidCare Chip program to cover more children with health insurance continued the rush to meet the Legislature’s General File deadline. After getting the measure out of the House Labor committee Wednesday night, the House Appropriations committee considered the bill, SF 39 Children’s health insurance program over the noon recess. The committee approved the measure on a 6-1 vote, with only Rep. Jeb Steward of Saratoga voting against the bill.

“I applaud this step,” Rep. Pete Jorgensen told the prime sponsor Sen. Mike Massie after the committee’s vote. “It’s a small step but it’s a step.”

Jorgensen has advocated for more aggressive efforts by the state to address the lack of access to affordable, quality care that plagues many residents of Wyoming.

The bill now goes to the House General File, where all supporters of the bill now need to ask their representatives to ask House Majority Leader Buchanan to make certain the bill is considered during committee of the whole Friday.

Here are some key points to consider mentioning to your representatives in email messages and any other conversation you can have with them.

Key points:

• This is a successful program that currently serves approximately 5,700 children in our state. These are children whose families are earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level;
• This bill proposes increasing eligibility up to 300% of the federal poverty level;
• The state financial contribution for this bill is less than $100,000 ($94,355);
• The federal contribution is 65% of the cost and amounts to $185,232;
• The state premium per child is $188 per month which includes health, mental health and dental care. It is anticipated that the premium will increase to $200 per month on July 1;
• Parents who earn between 201 and 250% of the federal poverty level would be required to contribute up to $40 per month (per child but only for the first two children) toward the premium and up to $250 per person in deductibles per year;
• Parents who earn between 252 and 300% of the federal poverty level would be required to contribute up to $50 per month (per child but only for the first two children) toward the premium and up to $500 per child in deductibles per year;
• This program supports working families who are doing everything they can to support their families.
  

As always, remember to lobby politely. Please don’t send an email blast to all 60 members. A comment of support for SF 39 to your House district’s representative will be most effective. If you have relationships with other members, please write separate messages to them.

Thanks for all your help advocating for Wyoming’s uninsured children.

Not perfect?

Why was the day not perfect? Well, SF 94, a campaign finance bill was heard. It raises individual contributions limits to $2,400 per election. The ESPC like to see the bill killed. There does not appear to be a compelling need to pump more money in elections in Wyoming.

Or, if contribution limits must be raised because of the rising cost of races for governor, the ESPC believes the state should institute tiers of individual contribution limits. Wyoming could raise individual contribution limits for statewide races – governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction – but have a second tier that retains the existing $1,000 individual limit for all other elections.

Campaign costs in the average contested Wyoming legislative race are low – about $15,000 for a contested state Senate race and around $8,500 for a contested House race, according to the Wyoming League of Women Voters.

Deanna Frey of the Wyoming Children's Action Alliance contributed to this report.

Child health insurance

Bill cut-off threatens KidCare expansion

House Labor chairman puts bill in tight position

Calendar management can be key to passing – or killing – proposed legislation. Advocates for expansion of Wyoming’s KidCare Chip program saw the bill authorizing it fall into a dire situation Monday night.

House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee Chairman Jack Landon, pictured above, announced Monday evening that the committee had run out of time to hear the bill during its Monday meeting. He put it off consideration until the committee meets again Wednesday.

That puts the bill in a scheduling crunch. Any bill that has not been heard in Committee of the Whole by end of business Friday is dead for the session. The bill, Senate File 39 – Children’s health insurance program, must first win approval by the Labor committee, the be re-referred to the Appropriations Committee for a hearing on the General Fund spending it requires.

If House Labor approves it Wednesday night, it could still make it. Unfortunately, the House Appropriations Committee ordinarily does not meet on Thursday. The ESPC will join Deanna Frey of the Wyoming Children’s Action Alliance and others in asking House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosie Berger to consider SF 39 on Thursday.

Here’s what Frey said in a note to allies Monday evening:

“AT 6:50 this evening Chairman Jack Landon informed the House Labor Health and Social Services committee and those waiting to testify that SF 39 Children's Health Insurance would not be heard this evening. … At this point we need to contact members of the Labor committee asking for their positive consideration of the bill on Wednesday. The members of the committee are listed below as are the talking points previously provided.”

Here are the email addresses of Labor committee members.

• Chairman Rep. Jack Landon - Sheridan - jlandon@wyoming.com
• Rep. Dave Bonner - Powell - dbonner@wyoming.com
• Rep. Kathy Davison - Kemmerer - kdavison@wyoming.com
• Rep. Ken Esquibel - Cheyenne - kesquibel@wyoming.com
• Rep Patrick Goggles - Ethete - pgoggles@wyoming.com
• Rep. Timothy Hallinan - Gillette - tphallinan@bresnan.net
• Rep. Elaine Harvey -Lovell - harvey00@tctwest.net
• Rep. Lori Millin -Cheyenne - lorimillin@bresnan.net
• Rep. Lisa Shepperson - Casper - lshepperson@wyoming.com
  

Here are the talking points offered by Ms. Frey --

"The message is simple: (information from the Wyoming Children's Action Alliance issue brief Health Care a National Priority)

1. Wyoming's Equality Care and Kid Care CHIP programs have been very successful in helping to ensure more children from the target population, those from poor and low income families.
2. Despite this success, the percentage of uninsured children from income brackets never eligible for government sponsored increased from 1995-2005.
3. Working parents in Wyoming that earn between 200 and 300% of the federal poverty level are often unable to provide health insurance for their children.
4. The funding for the bill has been reduced dramatically to $ 94,355 to provide health care for eligible children.
5. Amendments to the bill require a increase of the parent co-pay and a parent payment of a portion of the insurance premium.
   

As the ESPC has noted previously, expanding the program to cover uninsured children in families making 300% of poverty merely recognizes that insurance costs have escalated to the point that even families with decent incomes cannot afford the cost.

Prime sponsor Sen. Mike Massie has presented statistics showing that the average health care policy in Wyoming covering families costs $12,800 per year. State employees pay more than $15,000 per year for family coverage. Buying insurance on the open market would take 20% of the gross income (before taxes) of families at 300% of the poverty level, Sen. Massie pointed out - an option these families could not choose and still pay for other family needs.

This bill, Ms. Frey noted, is supported by the Wyoming Education Association, the AARP, the Hospital Association, the Nurses Association, the Equality State Policy Center, and the Wyoming Children's Action Alliance and its allies.

Mental health coverage for First Responders fails

One last note ... Chairman Landon also noted that he will not bring up SF 18 Mental injury - workers compensation. The bill had been heavily amended but was a chance to address mental injuries suffered by First Responders, that is, fire fighters, police, and EMTs, in the line of duty. Sen. John Hastert steered it through heavy opposition in the Senate, but could not overcome resistance in the House. He had hoped the bill would be pulled out of House Labor and referred to House Judiciary, but that effort did not work out.

Deanna Frey contributed mightily to this report.