On Tuesday, Jim Denning, majority leader of the Kansas Senate, lost the second of two lawsuits against columnist Steve Rose and the Kansas City Star, alleging the two had defamed his character.
At issue was a column by the longtime and now former journalist Rose for taking Denning to task for opposing the expansion of Medicaid in Kansas.
District Judge Paul Gurney said he could find no intended malice in Roses report, nor in its host publication, The Kansas City Star, on which Gurney ruled earlier in the summer.
Denning, an Olathe Republican, contended Rose had taken previous comments out of context for his column, which criticized Denning for refusing to even allow debate on expansion.
As majority leader, Denning holds great power in determining the Senate agenda. Despite wide passage by members of the House and their threat to hold up discussions on the budget if the Senate did not at least consider Medicaid expansion in this years session, Senate leadership remained intransigent.
Denning needs no help in maligning his character.
One wonders why Denning has spent an exorbitant amount of time trying in vain to silence his critics and intimidate a free press. Could it be that he knows hes on the wrong side of the argument?
MORE THAN 75% of Kansans support Medicaid expansion. For Kansas legislators to repeatedly its been proposed for five years now ignore that collected sentiment insults our democratic process. Officials are elected to represent the will of the people, not special interest groups.
By expanding Medicaid, an additional 150,000 Kansans would be eligible for health insurance. This is a demographic that makes too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to qualify for subsidies through the Affordable Care Act.
To date, Kansas has refused more than $3 billion in federal funds to help with expansion and countless additional jobs and tax revenues that would come with them. For rural hospitals such as Allen County Regional, Medicaid expansion would mean an additional $1.5 million each year to help cover the fees incurred by those without health insurance.
Every day that expansion is denied translates into additional hardships for individuals and businesses that can least afford it.
Now thats a lawsuit.
Which begs the question, who are those opposed to expansion and why?
After all, when Republican Sam Brownback was governor, large bipartisan majorities passed the legislation, only to have him veto it in 2017.
For Brownback and his ilk, it was politics, and not a little spite. Because Medicaid expansion is an inherent part of the Affordable Care Act, the signature legislation of President Barack Obama, there are those who wish to see it fail, no matter its outsized benefits.
And thats why people are losing their trust in government. Its not about them anymore.
Susan Lynn
