WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.480 State Senator Barb Kirkmeyers. She'd also like to be your 2 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:06.639 next governor and is in the Republican race for the nomination. 3 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:07.919 Barb, good to hear from you again. 4 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.199 Hey, nice to hear from you too. Thanks for everything 5 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:12.080 you're doing as well. 6 00:00:12.759 --> 00:00:15.359 So you know, I have to say, Barb, I'm in 7 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:19.559 a different position than you. When I hear Democrats of 8 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:24.000 any stripe in Colorado talking about making Colorado more affordable, 9 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:26.800 I just take it as a laugh line, right, I mean, 10 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:30.640 because it's hilarious because since they've taken over every branch 11 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:34.600 of government in twenty nineteen, government has grown exponentially, the 12 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:37.240 cost of everything has grown exponentially. And I'm not saying 13 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.759 that everything is the Democrats in Colorado's fault, because it isn't. 14 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:43.840 Like We've also had national inflation that's been a mess. 15 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:48.640 But now to see them earnestly running on making Colorado 16 00:00:48.679 --> 00:00:50.240 more affordable, it makes me laugh. 17 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:52.039 I guess I shouldn't look at it that way. I 18 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:53.240 should take it more seriously. 19 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:57.960 Well, I think sometimes the only thing you can do 20 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:00.600 is lab and try and and just work way through it. 21 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:04.319 But quite honestly, you're exactly right, you know, Democrats are 22 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:06.719 going around saying, oh my god, the state's unaffordable, all 23 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:08.920 these things, you know. I mean, we just heard from 24 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:11.359 Michael Bennett. He put out this post and was on 25 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:13.840 a podcast saying that it's you know, a lot of 26 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:16.200 other words, but it basically said it was disgraceful, and 27 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:19.640 it is disgraceful. But you know what, he has said nothing. 28 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:21.760 He has said nothing for the last six and a 29 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:24.319 half seven years when all of this has been happening. 30 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:27.200 Because seven years ago, before this one party control that 31 00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:31.599 we have, we weren't the fifth most unaffordable state in 32 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:34.439 the nation. We weren't the second most unsafe state in 33 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:37.359 the nation. We weren't the sixth most regulated. I mean, 34 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:38.959 what did they think was going to happen when they 35 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:42.400 passed all those regulations and pass those onto businesses that 36 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:45.480 just get passed on to consumers. Did they think things 37 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:48.560 weren't going to cost more? I mean, it's crazy, but 38 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:51.280 it's their fault. It is just their fault. 39 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:56.680 Yeah, And so they're already lining up because I think 40 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:00.439 that that messaging in the last election cycle, and let's 41 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:02.799 be real, I mean, it was a schlacking across Colorado 42 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:06.200 for conservatives once again, and part of the reason that 43 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:10.680 I think some of the races were one, at least 44 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:12.560 in some of the school boards, was that they focused 45 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:15.919 on real life issues. And I think that the Democrats 46 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:19.560 are now moving away from this sort of identity politics 47 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:21.560 that they've been so immersed in for so many years. 48 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:25.240 So how do you, Barb Kirkmeyer, point out to the 49 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:30.000 voters who may not necessarily be the most informed voters 50 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:32.919 about why we're sort of where we are today? How 51 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:36.520 do you push back on that narrative without just going 52 00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:39.159 are you kidding me? Because that's what I would say, 53 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:40.560 and that's why I'm not a politician. 54 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:42.400 Yeah. 55 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:46.319 So I've been in several forums with you know, Democrats 56 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:50.319 who are running for office, whether it's attorney general, treasurer, 57 00:02:50.759 --> 00:02:54.960 or gouvenatorial and you know, just even a few weeks ago, 58 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.840 I was in in front of the Denver Junior League 59 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:00.240 about two hundred to two hundred and fifty one, and 60 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:03.120 we were talking about women issues and government. And I 61 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:04.840 set there for an hour and a half and listened 62 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:09.120 to the Democrat candidates and or their surrogates, and I 63 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:12.439 was the only Republican candidate actually there, which I think 64 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:14.240 we've got to go out and keep make sure that 65 00:03:14.280 --> 00:03:16.919 we're in front of every group. When I rent the governor, 66 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:19.039 I'm readying to be a governor for everybody in the state, 67 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:21.879 not just a certain flex few. But you know, I 68 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:23.280 listened to him for an hour and a half talk 69 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:25.560 about the cost of groceries and how expensive it was 70 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:28.560 and how unsafe our communities are. And literally I ended 71 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:30.840 up being the last person to speak. I got the 72 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:34.639 last shot at closing statements, and I just said, they're right, 73 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:39.039 it is And I said, and it's their fault. It's 74 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:42.400 one party control. They have done this year over a year, 75 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:46.479 and they've made our state unaffordable, unsafe, and quite frankly, 76 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:49.080 we are just unraveling. And the thing is, you know, 77 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:50.800 and this is what I tell folks, even as I 78 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:55.400 talk about the healthcare situation in our state. The governor 79 00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:01.280 just cut Medicaid, cut medicaids, and he cut Medicaid provider rates. 80 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:05.039 And my Democrat colleagues on the Joint Budgets Committee set 81 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:09.360 there and said nothing. It's infuriating. I mean, finally, today 82 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:12.759 we're getting a post out from the Colorado Sun that says, 83 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:14.439 you know, this is how bad it's going to hurt 84 00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:16.879 all these people on Medicaid. It is not just the 85 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:19.160 people on Medicaid that will be hurt by this. With 86 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:22.240 twenty five counties with maternal health care desert, that means 87 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.240 whether you're on Medicaid or not, you're not getting maternal 88 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:29.000 healthcare in those areas of our state. That's what this 89 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:32.079 one party control has done in the state of Colorado, 90 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:35.000 and they're making it worse. The governor came out, so 91 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:37.519 I mean, I do everything I can to get the 92 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:40.480 message out, you know, and we have books like yourselves 93 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:42.759 and other people in the media that are getting it out. 94 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:45.279 But even like you know today, when I saw that 95 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:48.199 headline come out, it was the other day, and you know, 96 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:50.920 I've just had the opportunity to say, start reading things again. 97 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:53.720 I'm like, I sent, you know, sent out a tweet 98 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:56.279 that said, look, the headline should have read this is 99 00:04:56.519 --> 00:05:00.360 Polis Medicaid cuts. You know, the polist Medicaid cuts will 100 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:04.160 hurt families across Colorado. And the Dems on the joint 101 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:07.519 Budeviney that they've said nothing. They refused to hold him accountable. 102 00:05:07.639 --> 00:05:09.560 But the people in this state, we all need to 103 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:13.240 start holding him accountable because he's affecting everyone's access to healthcare, 104 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:15.680 not just those who are the most poor among us, 105 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:18.120 you know, the most vulnerable among us. He's doing it 106 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:22.160 to everybody. It's hurting everybody, and they are feeling it. 107 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:24.759 And I think that's what's showing up in the polls. 108 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.120 And I know, you know, the election, and I'm sorry, 109 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:28.639 I'm kind of going on here a little long, but 110 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:32.000 I know that last election, you know, Tuesday, last week, 111 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:34.959 everybodything all it was a slacking and to some extent 112 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:37.000 it was. But I think for those of us that 113 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.639 are involved in this, you know, we know that which 114 00:05:39.639 --> 00:05:42.519 school board members are Republicans and which ones are Democrats 115 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:45.600 or you know, unaffiliated or you know where they stand. 116 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:48.319 But on the healthy mials thing, we have voted on 117 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:51.720 that twice and so the third time, I mean, there 118 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:53.439 wasn't that much on the ballot and I just don't 119 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:56.759 think people were that you know, interested in it. And 120 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:58.720 but for the third time, it's like, well, we voted 121 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:01.040 on that twice, and you know, the two times before, 122 00:06:01.079 --> 00:06:04.279 if they passed it. And so when the message is, gus, 123 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:06.639 do you think we should tack somebody else other than 124 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:10.399 yourself so that in school, you know, what do you 125 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:13.800 think they're gonna say, well, I mean, wait, but. 126 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:15.839 You know as well as I do, that that bill 127 00:06:16.120 --> 00:06:18.959 was not about making sure kids could eat at school. 128 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:23.279 It was about putting the progressive income taxes Camel knows 129 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:26.920 underneath the tent. And I keep saying on social media, 130 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:28.480 I'm like, you know what, all you people who voted 131 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:30.600 to stick it to the rich, wait until you find 132 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:34.279 out you're the rich, because they will come for you 133 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:35.680 with a progressive income tax. 134 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:39.319 Absolutely. But you know, but Manny, it has been on 135 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:42.319 twice before. This was can we keep the money that 136 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:45.040 you already said should go to kids to feed kids 137 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:47.519 in schools? You know? And people are like, well, yeah, 138 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:49.399 why not? You know, I mean I think that's how 139 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:52.639 people approached it. And they's like, we've already voted for twice, 140 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:54.720 why would we not vote for again? And you and 141 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:57.800 I know what's behind it, but they don't, right, But 142 00:06:57.879 --> 00:06:59.879 you know I will. I will see this as well. 143 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.600 I think it is starting to permeate into folks who 144 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:06.399 are not underneath what I call the golden bubble down there. 145 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:09.120 You know that, you know, we get so closed in. 146 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:11.439 It's like our own little echo chamber going on. But 147 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:13.720 I think it is starting to permeate because even with 148 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:17.360 this snap the supplemental nutrition program. I mean, you've got 149 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:20.600 you have Senator Bennett calling out and saying it's a 150 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.279 disgrace that we're so unaffordable, and then he continues to 151 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:28.079 vote for the shutdown. This isn't on the Democrat. They 152 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:31.399 continue to vote for the shutdown time and time again. 153 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:35.279 Our two US senators keep doing that. And basically, you know, 154 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:38.160 and it's a one hundred and twenty million dollar program 155 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.360 a month, and Post is like, well, let's fill the 156 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:42.720 gap with ten million bucks. And I'm like, you need 157 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.040 to call a state of emergency, tap into the emergency fund, 158 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:48.000 and start figuring out how to make this work in 159 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:50.680 our state. Because it's six hundred thousand people that aren't 160 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:52.600 going to have food on their table, and half of 161 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:56.319 those three hundred thousand of them are kids. So what 162 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:58.519 does he think they're going to do for Thanksgiving? For 163 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:02.439 goodness sakes? You know. But here's what's happened just recently, 164 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:04.839 and I had mag comments and I started talking to 165 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:08.040 some of my county's richter friends. Jefferson County declared an 166 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:11.120 emergency disaster that people aren't going to get fed. This 167 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.560 is a this is a big deal, you know kind 168 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:16.759 of thing, and you know, but here's here's Bennett, Well, 169 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.480 we're unaffordable, and you know whose fault is it? It's 170 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:21.680 the Democrats. And then on top of it all, he 171 00:08:21.800 --> 00:08:25.120 keeps shutting down government and is the real him and 172 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:27.800 Hickenlooper are right there at the top of the list 173 00:08:27.800 --> 00:08:31.079 of people who are denying people's food in our state. 174 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:34.360 That's ridiculous. That's just ridiculous to me. 175 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:39.120 I think the entire government shutdown is ridiculous. I think 176 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:42.279 that the fact that we're doing a continuing resolution over 177 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:44.440 and over and over again and expecting a different result 178 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:48.320 is ridiculous. But as governor of Colorado, what would you 179 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:52.159 do to do a better job managing those Medicaid funds, 180 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:56.200 managing the healthcare needs of the state, recognizing that, especially 181 00:08:56.200 --> 00:08:59.639 in some mountain communities, health insurance is insane. How do 182 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:03.080 you even begin to do something here at the state level. 183 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:07.320 Some of the things that I've already done is trying 184 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:09.720 to ensure again that the Medicaid provider rates that there 185 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:11.960 is an increase. Of course, now I'm getting pushed back 186 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:15.000 from not only the Governor's office, but even people on 187 00:09:15.039 --> 00:09:17.240 the Joint Budget Committee who don't want to keep those 188 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:21.120 rates up because I guess people just everyone needs to 189 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:24.120 understand when you cut the Medicaid provider rates, it cuts 190 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:27.039 access to certainly right off the top the one point 191 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:29.519 two million people who are on Medicaid, but it ends 192 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.399 up cutting access for everybody in the state of Colorado 193 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:35.639 because those providers leave the system. So I already talked 194 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:38.879 about hospitals that have closed their maternal healthcare wards. We 195 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:41.960 have hospitals now that are in Loveland and Greeley that 196 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.200 are turning the close things like their emergency centers and 197 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:49.080 they're in patient services because they can't afford to bring 198 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:53.159 on Medicaid patients because it's running their hospital into the 199 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:55.799 ground kind of thing, and so they can't thrive, they 200 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:59.159 can't continue on. So it's going to impact everybody. And 201 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:01.639 then last year able to carry a bill working again 202 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.200 with the Hospital Association and looking at how do we 203 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:06.679 pull down federal dollars, you know, the taxes that we 204 00:10:06.679 --> 00:10:08.279 pay in I'm trying to make sure we get them 205 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:11.000 back here for our books, but how do we pull 206 00:10:11.080 --> 00:10:14.120 down federal dollars to stabilize the safety net. And we 207 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.799 were able to again, working with hospitals who are going 208 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:20.559 to contribute, you know, donate funds for us to the 209 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:23.639 state so that we can pull down federal funds essentially 210 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:25.519 a match, you know, it's a dollar for dollar match 211 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:28.600 kind of thing to start stabilizing our healthcare safety net. 212 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:31.720 So those are things that I've worked on, but quite frankly, 213 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.159 it's we have got to get some legislators and a 214 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:38.279 governor's office who understand that when you cut medicaid, what 215 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.480 I mean, our healthcare system is in crisis mode and 216 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:44.679 they're just making it worse for everyone in this state. 217 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.039 And so I do my best to try and you know, 218 00:10:47.159 --> 00:10:50.279 increase the education part. But as a governor, there are 219 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:52.320 other things that we should be cutting other than Medicaid. 220 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:54.559 I mean, the governor came in with his budget request 221 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:58.720 to cut Medicaid by another three hundred to three hundred 222 00:10:58.720 --> 00:10:59.759 and thirty million dollars. 223 00:11:00.519 --> 00:11:01.200 Where's that money? 224 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:04.799 I mean, where is that money going to come from? 225 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:05.559 In the medicaids? 226 00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:07.399 This has been Don't get me wrong, I think that 227 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:09.320 there's probably a lot of fat in the Medicaid system 228 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:11.440 and probably a lot of fraud. But if we're not 229 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:14.320 going to redirect any of that three hundred million into findings, 230 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:16.720 specifically those those areas. 231 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:18.080 Of fraud where we can go after fraudsters. 232 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:20.840 I don't know where that money comes from, and I 233 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:23.120 think some of that go ahead. 234 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:24.399 I'm sorry, I know I was going to say. 235 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.279 I just think it's interesting that he's he's able to 236 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:32.440 do that so cavalierly and have no political or media 237 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:35.440 pushback at all. 238 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:39.080 Exactly, and he has had some pushback. I mean, we've 239 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:42.759 gotten some pushback on it, but there honestly, here's what 240 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:45.240 this governor is doing. He is punting. He is trying 241 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:47.559 to push this problem out as far as he can 242 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:50.200 so he can claim that, you know, just like he says, 243 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:52.679 I'm saving you money. I mean, and he created the 244 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:56.159 Office of Saving people Money. Seriously, have we all saved money? 245 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.919 Because I have not. I don't think anyone else that 246 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.519 i'd talk to. And so he's like the emperor who 247 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:04.120 wears no clothes, right, but he's walking around and what 248 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.240 he thinks are these great clothes and he basically has 249 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:09.559 no clothes on. Rite that story, and that's what he's doing. 250 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:12.000 It's like, look, if I just keep telling you over 251 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:14.480 and over and over again that I've saved you money. 252 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:16.440 You're gonna believe me I saved you money. So if 253 00:12:16.440 --> 00:12:18.080 I keep telling you over and over again that I'm 254 00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:20.159 balancing the budget, You're going to believe me that I 255 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:22.679 balanced the budget. And people do need to push back. 256 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:24.639 In fact, I've had some of those conversations, and I 257 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:28.360 was talking you know, at the hospital Association and you know, 258 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:31.519 these patient groups, and it's like, it can't just be me, 259 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:34.039 it has to be all of you that start pushing back. 260 00:12:34.279 --> 00:12:36.759 You need to get the message out through your associations, 261 00:12:36.759 --> 00:12:40.919 through your organizations, through your patient organizations, that the governor 262 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:44.840 is doing this. I mean, the disability organizations, you know, 263 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:47.519 non for profit groups are out there. They're they're getting 264 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:50.000 the message out. That's why we're starting to see more stories. 265 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:53.200 But the governor isn't feeling any pain here. He's not 266 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:57.519 feeling anything, you know. You know at one point, you know, 267 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.919 I asked, you know, some of his staff last year, 268 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:02.639 like why does the governor hate kids with autism? Yeah? 269 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:04.840 When I put that out on Twitter, I finally get there, 270 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:07.399 you know, get their attention. But it's things like that, 271 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:09.639 and you know, and it's kind of wait, wait, let 272 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:10.799 me let me stalk you right there. 273 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:12.240 I have to ask for clarification. 274 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:14.799 So you did you try to talk to the governor 275 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:17.840 before before you you sent out on social media? Why 276 00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:20.240 do you hate kids with autism? Is that what it 277 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:22.039 took to get a conversation with the governor. 278 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:26.360 So here's what happened. No, I didn't get a conversation 279 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.960 with the governor. Here's what happened. We had a case 280 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:33.399 and this was started in twenty four where the Medicaid 281 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:36.639 rate that was being paid for children with autism was 282 00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:39.320 being reduced to the point that kids that are you know, 283 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:42.399 kids who are maybe being on the spectrum but we 284 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:45.679 don't know, weren't getting their assessments and their evaluations done. 285 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:48.679 And those need to be done when they're they're three 286 00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:51.200 and no later than four, you know, three to four 287 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:53.720 years of age. They need to have these evaluations and 288 00:13:53.799 --> 00:13:56.360 these assessments done. And what was happening is because the 289 00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:59.720 provider rate was so low that the assessments, the waiting 290 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:02.240 list was getting pushed out like twelve and eighteen months. 291 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:06.080 I mean, this assessment is what then determines around four 292 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:08.600 and five years of age, the types of resources that 293 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:13.039 these children need so that they can have a successful future, 294 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.559 successful life, you know, a better quality of life in 295 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:20.600 the future. And we were cutting we weren't pick puff 296 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:24.799 was pulling back on them on the Medicaid rates for 297 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.279 these certain codes. Okay, So I was able to push 298 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:30.919 through and at that time the members of the Joint 299 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:33.000 Budget Committee backed me up, and we were able to 300 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:37.279 push through an increase to the Medicaid provider rate for 301 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:40.879 these codes, for these so these kids could get these assessments, 302 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:43.519 so that providers would quit leaving our state, and that 303 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:45.480 they would you know, quit leaving the system, and that 304 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:47.159 they would stay in the system and these kids could 305 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:49.879 get their assessments. I was so bafter we got that 306 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:52.039 pushed through, and it was a JBC, a Joint Budget 307 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:55.519 Committee supplemental that I was, you know, really pushed on. 308 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:58.279 But again the other members agreed with me. We get 309 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:01.320 a push through. I'm told by you know, one of 310 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:04.480 the staff members of the Governor's office like, well, we're 311 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:06.840 going to do a comeback on that and and cut 312 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:09.080 that out. And I'm like them, are like, oh, please 313 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:10.879 do so I can explain to everybody how you hate 314 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:13.759 kids with autism, Like why is that? And then but 315 00:15:13.799 --> 00:15:16.799 here's what happened. That was part of his cut right 316 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.879 after the special session, is to cut that rate. Specifically, 317 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:24.279 the thing that I had increase they cut. I mean, 318 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:27.120 I think they're like target anything I do, frankly, so 319 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.080 I'm just like, you know, why does the governor hate 320 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:31.039 kids with autism? You know, why does the governor hate 321 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.399 kids that are in school, like, you know, in special education? 322 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:35.360 Then he doesn't want to fund them, you know kind 323 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:37.799 of thing. And you know, I mean that's how that's 324 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:39.440 how far I feel like I have to go to 325 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:42.000 get his attention and then you know, then his staff 326 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.360 will come back with something. But in the meantime, he's 327 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.440 cut those kids with autism, he's cut families who have 328 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:51.840 children adult children with disabilities, when he's cutting MEDICAIDS. That's 329 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:54.559 what's happening. Those people are starting to push back. There 330 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:57.879 have been some articles, but it just needs to be everybody, 331 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:00.720 and it's not just the governor. The leg lators that 332 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:02.919 are on the Joint Budget Committee need to have an 333 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:06.759 understanding of how this is hurting all Colorado families, not 334 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:10.360 just a few. It's hurting everybody. And the Governor's budget request, 335 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:12.720 the Governor's coming in front of us the Joint Budget Committee. 336 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:14.840 On Wednesday we have our session where he has to 337 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:18.200 present his budget request. His budget request is cutting medicaid 338 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:22.000 bought out, and I asked them in the one on 339 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.759 one meeting that I did eventually have with the governor 340 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:29.200 and the Office of State Planning and Budget Director Mark Ferandino. 341 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:31.519 I finally had a meeting with them after I had 342 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.120 to complain about things and you know, and put out 343 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:38.159 messages and Mary Anne Goodlin from the Colorada Politics put 344 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.720 an article out on this stuff. I asked him, I 345 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:42.759 was like, how much general fun are you actually cutting 346 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:45.360 in your budget request. They won't even answer the question. 347 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:48.200 They're like, well, that's a pudicator, so it's not that complicated. 348 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.039 I need to know. And that's the question I'm going 349 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:52.240 to ask next week. By the way, So on Wednesday, 350 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:54.200 I'm asking that question. I hope they have an answer. 351 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:55.720 I said, well, have you back on? 352 00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:58.480 Well, have you back on? You get that information. 353 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:03.360 Senator Barb Kerkmeier, who I think probably has the best 354 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.680 chance of wrangling Colorado's budget under control. 355 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.640 But we'll see. Barbo's good to talk to you. We'll 356 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:08.440 talk to again soon.