League of Women Voters^®
of Berrien and Cass Counties, Michigan

Liz Ennis is the current LWVBCC president and was the leader of the delegation to the LWVMI Convention in Lansing May 17-19. The delegation attended meetings and workshops all day Friday through Sunday at noon. The speakers were amazing, informative and at times inspirational. At the pre-convention advocacy workshop on Friday we heard: Peter Redell on education (he is writing the latest version of the Govenor's education plan); Brett Williams of MI Consumers for Health Care; Kathleen Strauss member of the State Board of Education and League member for 57 years; James Clift of the MI Environmental Council on fracking and LWVMI VP Judy Karandjeff on election issues.

Other speakers were Phil Powers of the Center for Michigan speaking on "The Public's Agenda for Public Education". The speaker at the Saturday evening banquet was former Congresswoman Lynn Rivers who gave an eye-opening speech on the U.S. Constitution. Sunday morning the ever-informative Rich Robinson spoke on "Dark Money in Politics". Truly a scary subject.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has collected and now released on its website cms.gov the prices hospitals all over the country charge for a long list of services. The range of prices is astounding and disturbing and defies logical explanation. The spreadsheet is also a little tricky to use.

One explanation of hospital pricing can be found in the March 4, 2013 issue of Time magazine. Written by Steven Brill (founder of Court TV ) the series of articles is called Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us. Click on this Time link for some amazing reading.

This bill, the most recent Medicaid expansion bill, was introduced May 9 by Representative Matt Lori with co-sponsor Al Pscholka, both LWVBCC area legislators. Normally if they like a bill, a long list of representatives sign on as co-sponsors, so this short list is revealing. Basically, many Republicans in the legislature do not want to see Medicaid expanded to cover the uninsured in Michigan because they are opposed to what they see as expansion of the role of the federal government.

The bill is being opposed by LWVMI because it limits the Medicaid funded insurance for nondisabled people to 4 years. A waiver has to be obtained from the federal government for this provision. It also requires 100% percent federal funding for 4 years when it has only been promised at 100% for 3 years. Neither of these provsions is apt to be accepted by the federal government, so this bill is really just for show. If Medicaid is not expanded in Michigan Medicaid funds will leave Michigan and we will forfeit savings.

The serious part is that tiem is running our for Medicaid expansion

This Act is being considered by the Michigan Senate and may be voted on at any time. Let your Michigan senator know how you feel about this bill. Senator John Proos SenJProos@senate.michigan.gov is a co-sponsor. Here is actual the introductory language of the bill.

"A bill to protect religious liberty and rights of conscience in the areas of health care and medical and scientific research as it pertains to employment, education and training, and participating in health care services and to the purchasing of or providing for the purchase of health insurance; to provide immunity from liability; and to prescribe penalties and provide remedies."

it is astoundingly broad, affecting health care as well as health and scientific research. It allows not only health care providers and researchers to opt out of whatever area of medical care bothers them for "sincerely held" religious or philospohical reasons, but also employers and health insurance providers.

The League of Women Voters of Michigan opposes SB 136 and it was one of the bills highlighted in an April 23 Action Alert. Read the bill.

The League of Women Voters of MIchigan has prepared a presentation on current education issues in Michigan and the League of Berrien and Cass Counties will make the presentation to groups interested in learning more on the current status of public education in Michiganand Governor Snyder's proposals to change education in Michigan. If you are interested please e-mail Elizabeth Ennis at president@lwvbcc.org.

League members are intelligent, clever, serious and dedicated. They also know how to have fun! After the alternative energy meeting at the AEP building on the bluff above, twenty-one members adjourned to Wheatberry for dinner.

The next social event is the Annual Meeting and Dinner on June 19 at Skip's in New Buffalo.

View our informative e-newsletter, published almost monthly. The May 2013 newsletter is now available. It is a copy of an e-newsletter and does not have the same professional appearance as the original. In fact, with our new, wider and easier-to-read format, the right side is cut off. If you would like to join our mailing list email wm@lwvbcc.org.