Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
And our last speaker I want to thank Joe Jones from the Urban League.
Thank you Governor and thank you for the invitation. The Urban League is a civil rights organization.
We are one of nearly one hundred affiliates through out the country and we're one of three
in the state of Michigan, and we're 70 years old here in Grand Rapids, and the great majority
of our constituency happen to be residents who are colored, residents of color in the
urban core of grand Rapids. And when word came about the Senate's inability or decision
not to vote on this, I personally was greatly disappointed and I know I can speak on behalf
of my colleague in Detroit Charles Henderson in the saying the same thing and while I'm
at it I want to give credit where credit is due, I want to give a shout out and recognition
to the House for showing foresight and showing leadership in passing the bill, and my hope
is that the Senate will get to a place sooner rather than later where they will see the
absolute need for this. Unfortunately when you consider the communities of color, the
African-American, Latino communities, historically we sit on top of the list of health disparities
and it's organizations like the [Unclear] and my colleague Ken Wilson who's here today
and other community based organizations who on a daily basis we see the ill effects of
poor health and the thought of not being able to access Medicaid really becomes a nightmare
and so I what I would like to do is highly recommend to the Michigan State Senate to
get their tails back in Lansing, to vote, and for those Senators who have any doubt
to the need of it, I want to welcome them to come to 745 Eastern Southeast, which is
where our headquarters is, and I'll gladly show them why they need to vote in favor of
Medicaid reform. Thank you.