To the editor:

Recently, as I was saying gratitude prayers for the unified efforts of our local and state governments for taking such decisive actions to protect our health and safety, an article about our Republican legislators curbing Governor Kelly’s powers caught my attention. I learned there are several male legislators who think our governor wants to confiscate their guns. I flashed to a two-year old screaming and fighting his parents as they fled their burning home because he wanted his teddy bear. These “hair on fire” legislators are choosing to focus on an issue that doesn’t even exist. Hello! Governor Kelly doesn’t want your guns, boys, this is not about you, she wants to save our lives!

It’s time to be heroic, to band together to keep our state’s population healthy and functional! Many hospitals in our rural areas like Horton, Fort Scott, Oswego, Independence, and now this past week, Wellington, have closed. How are those populations going to manage as the pandemic blankets our state? They’re closed because support for Medicare expansion has stalled for years, and the bipartisan compromise on Medicaid expansion has been blocked by Senate President Susan Wagle, which expands Medicare and supports rural hospital funding. We need bold, educated, bipartisan measures right now. The legislature can still take decisive actions that will help protect all of us.  Our lives are depending on it! 

Karen Cochran,

Lawrence