Democratic Candidates Call on Governor Kemp to Expand Scope of Special Session to Pass Medicaid Expansion Amidst Public Health Emergency

For Immediate Release
Date: Monday, March 16
Contact: Melody Oliphant, melodyoliphant@gmail.com

Atlanta — Today, 4 Democratic state senate candidates and 18 Democratic state house candidates from across the state called on Governor Kemp to expand the scope of the emergency legislative session to pass full Medicaid expansion.

In part, the letter read as follows:

“As Georgians, we must set partisan politics aside and come together to pass full Medicaid expansion, which is the critical first step to keep Georgia families healthy and safe.”

“Access to affordable health care can be a life-or-death issue, and never more so than in a public health crisis. More than 1.6 million Georgians lack health insurance, with rural Georgians facing a critical lack of access to adequate healthcare. Immediate expansion would provide nearly a half million Georgians with the healthcare that they desperately need during this public health emergency.”

Signers included Democratic candidates for state senate, Zachary Perry (SD-46), Dawn Johnson (SD-47), Dee Daley (SD-50), and June Krise, RN (SD-51), and Democratic candidates for state house, Dave Cooper (HD-8), Nick Mitchell (HD-10), Leigh Miller (HD-30), Pete Fuller (HD-31), Kyle Rinaudo (HD-35), Elizabeth Webster, PhD (HD-35), Connie Di Cicco (HD-44), Sara Tindall Ghazal (HD-45), Shea Roberts (HD-52), Jenné Shepherd (HD-57), Angela Mayfield (HD-67), Mary Blackmon Campbell (HD-97) Rebecca Mitchell, DVM, PhD (HD-106), Regina Lewis-Ward (HD-109), “Mokah” Jasmine Johnson (HD-117), Stephen Baughier (HD-147), Joyce Barlow (HD-151), and Julie Jordan (HD-179).

Full Text of Letter:

This weekend, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared the first ever statewide public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Georgians, we must set partisan politics aside and come together to pass full Medicaid expansion, which is the critical first step to keep Georgia families healthy and safe.

Access to affordable health care can be a life-or-death issue, and never more so than in a public health crisis. More than 1.6 million Georgians lack health insurance, with rural Georgians facing a critical lack of access to adequate healthcare. Immediate expansion would provide nearly a half million Georgians with the healthcare that they desperately need during this public health emergency.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, call for the following:

  • Governor Kemp must expand the scope of the emergency legislative session to include Medicaid expansion;

  • The Georgia legislature must vote to approve a full Medicaid expansion during the March 16 special session. 

Upon expanding Medicaid coverage, Governor Kemp could then extend eligibility for emergency Medicaid coverage to Georgians for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

Protecting our most vulnerable citizens against an impending health and economic threat is a moral imperative. Any less is an abandonment of principle and duty.