TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ Republican-controlled Legislature approved an expansion Tuesday of state health coverage to thousands of poor adults under former President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, days after the collapse of GOP leaders’ repeal effort in Washington.

The bill would expand the state’s Medicaid program for the poor, disabled and elderly so that it would cover up to 180,000 additional adults who aren’t disabled. It now heads to conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

The collapse of efforts by President Donald Trump and top Republicans in the U.S. House to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act buoyed supporters of expanding Medicaid in Kansas. But the move’s success in the GOP-leaning state also reflected elections last year that brought more moderates and liberals into the Legislature.

“I’m ecstatic! I am, and I’m high on happiness,” said state Sen. Barbara Bollier, a moderate Kansas City-area Republican and retired anesthesiologist. “The citizens of this state took a stand in November and said we wanted change, and now you’re seeing it.”

But lawmakers on both sides of the debate expect Brownback to veto the measure. He has long been a vocal critic of Obama’s health care law and endorsed a plan pursued by Trump and GOP congressional leaders. The term-limited governor declared in January that expanding Medicaid under the law would be “airlifting onto the Titanic,” though he hasn’t said whether he would veto this bill.

The failure of Republicans in Washington to quickly repeal Obama’s health care law has created speculation that more states will consider Medicaid expansion. Democratic governors are pursuing expansions in North Carolina and Virginia; an initiative is on the ballot in November in Maine.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that he will give its Republicans another chance at passing a health care overhaul.


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