The 89th General Assembly faces a clear choice this year: deny coverage to more than 250,000 Arkansans who qualify for Medicaid services or allow all Arkansans access to coverage they deserve. Right now, the only way working Arkansans qualify for Medicaid is if they are very low-income parents or disabled workers. The only exception is for expectant mothers, who return to ineligible status once their child is born. These Arkansans work and pay taxes. They live next door. They watch our children, work in our restaurants, and produce and sell Arkansas-made goods. Sadly, one minor medical emergency could break these families.

We all live in Arkansas because we believe it’s one of the best places in America to live, work, and raise a family. If we want to make it even better, we need to show the nation that we care about having a healthy workforce. The good news is that the Arkansas legislature has the power to do just that by voting to stabilize our workforce and strengthen our state’s budget for years to come.