Sarah Huckabee Sanders has a message for vulnerable people seeking healthcare in Arkansas: tough.
The politico nepo baby’s latest act of cruelty came this week, when she rejected expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months. States are required to provide post-pregnancy Medicaid coverage for 60 days, but nothing more.
Once again, Sanders is providing her constituents with the least protection possible.
Politics, but make it gay!
Stay woke with our daily briefing while staying informed on all things LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and more!
When explaining her rational, Sanders said the state must do a better job of transitioning new parents to other coverage once their Medicaid runs out, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. She didn’t specify what that other coverage would be, however.
I think if I led the state with the highest rate of maternal mortality in the US, I would quite simply use every policy lever at my disposal to keep women from dying. https://t.co/nTJn2RXQkI— Greg Leding (@GregLeding) February 22, 2024
The follow up question should have been "what other coverage?"
Expecting working poor mothers to pay out of pocket for medical coverage is a foolish assumption. They'll just go without medical service.— Joseph (@JJTrey) February 22, 2024
With the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos can be considered “extrauterine children” under state law, the lack of reproductive healthcare in many Southern states continues to dominate political discourse. Arkansas is one of 14 states in the country where abortion is banned entirely.
While Sanders claims to be pro-life, she doesn’t show much regard for children, or their parents, once pregnancies are complete. One of her signature achievements last year was rolling back child labor laws: work permits are no longer required for kids under 16.
LGBTQ+ kids in particular are under attack in the Natural State. Arkansas passed the first ban on gender-affirming care for minors in the country, though a federal judge struck down the ruling last June. Undeterred, Sanders’ administration is appealing the ruling.
Since taking office, Sanders has been laser-focused on attacking her state’s LGBTQ+ population. She signed her own “Don’t Say Gay” bill and appointed Jacob Oliva, the man responsible for crafting the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Florida, to lead Arkansas’ education department.
In addition, she’s signed a law barring transgender teachers and students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identities. Gender-neutral terms, such as “Latinx,” are no longer permitted to appear on state documents as well.
Despite Sanders’ apparent efforts to legislate her queer constitutions out of existence, Arkansas’ LGBTQ+ population continues to grow. About 5.3% of Arkansas adults identify as LGBTQ+, which is roughly in line with the national average of 5.5%.
Those numbers are even greater among 18-24 year olds. Nearly 15% of young adults in Arkansas identify as LGBTQ+, along with 8.8% of 25-34 year olds.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, Arkansas is one of 23 states with the lowest designation of “high priority to achieve basic equality.” The state doesn’t have a hate-crime law, nor does it prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing or employment.
Sanders appointed an ex-cop who previously engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor to the state’s Board of Corrections.
While Arkansas is far from the only red state to deny basic protections to LGBTQ+ people or suitable medical care for mothers in need, it’s one of the most egregious violators in the country. Some of Arkansas’ 75 counties lack hospitals entirely, while only 35 hospitals in the state offer labor and delivery units.
Relatedly, Arkansas has the third highest infant mortality rate in the country. It’s one of only three states that does not offer postpartum Medicaid coverage for a full year.
But hey, at least SHS is working on important matters. She blew up a dam this week, and got to post #DrainTheSwamp on social media.
