House minority leader lays out 2024 legislative priorities
Substantive debate over Medicaid expansion has not occurred in recent years due to Gov. Tate Reeves’ and Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn’s opposition to expansion. However, Rep. Jason White, who is set to take the helm from Gunn next year, has said that it’s been a mistake to not examine Medicaid expansion as a partial solution to the state’s healthcare issues. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the state Senate, has also said the expansion will be examined during the 2024 session.
House minority leader, Rep. Robert Johnson, says that the openness from lawmakers on the other side of the aisle to have a robust debate bodes well for moving forward on this issue.
“The government is still sitting there saying here’s a billion dollars a year to reinforce your health care system, hire more personnel, deliver better services and provide coverage for over 200,000 uninsured Mississippians,” Johnson said. “It should be everybody’s number one priority. It’s not a Democrat or Republican issue. It’s an issue that affects the whole state of Mississippi.”
Alongside Medicaid expansion, public education is another top issue for legislative Democrats, according to Johnson. He says too many students still don’t have access to the internet and the technology they need to compete with students in other states.
“We should not ever have a student be penalized because of where they live, because of the circumstances of their environment,” Johnson said. “At the very least… a child in the state of Mississippi should know that at their public school they’re getting everything that they need. To do that we need to put the resources into public education.”
Johnson also wants to see the ballot initiative process restored, without limiting what can be passed as an initiative or an increase in signature requirements.
