A PDF file of this release can be downloaded from here.
Mississippi Religious Leaders Deliver Clergy Letter Urging Healthcare Expansion and Announcing Constituency Building Action to Mississippi Elected Officials
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHAT: Press Conference (in-person socially-distanced)
WHEN: Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 3:00 PM
WHERE: Mississippi State Capitol, 400 High Street, Jackson, MS (begins in Rotunda on 1st floor)
CONTACT: Dorothy Triplett, 601-750-1855 (call or text), or Hugh Hollowell, 601-278-0609 (call or text)
Following up on a March 5th press conference involving clergy from a multitude of faith traditions, religious leaders with Working Together Mississippi will deliver copies of a letter urging State elected officials to expand healthcare options through using Medicaid funds under the Affordable Care Act. This letter has been signed by over 300 interfaith clergy leaders from across the state and will be delivered to elected officials, including Governor Tate Reeves, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn, and all members of both legislative chambers. The letter and its signatories can be viewed at https://workingtogethermississippi.org/2021/01/13/healthcare/
Working Together Mississippi is engaged in a multi-year effort to build a constituency for increasing access to healthcare by using Federal funds available through the Affordable Care Act. Ninety percent of these funds will come from the Federal government, and the remaining 10% required match will be funded by a self-tax paid by hospitals in our state. No State money would be required.
In the letter being delivered, clergy express their support for this proposal, citing moral obligation in addition to both the human and economic costs of the State’s failure to expand Medicaid. Current signatories include: Jews, Muslims, and Christians, including Catholics, Methodists, Episcopalians, Missionary Baptists, The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Christian Church Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ and Church of Christ Holiness. WTM has clergy representation from Baptist Memorial Hospital System involved in this campaign.
Working Together Mississippi is also conducting a series of Civic Academies around Mississippi training a minimum of 500 lay leaders who will in turn educate other voters and their legislators on the issues at stake for our health, our communities, and the future of our healthcare system.
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