Letter: If Lisonbee cares about the disabled, she should support Medicaid expansion

In my opinion, Utah state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee should not be proud of getting the Down syndrome abortion bill passed.

As I’m sure most of you remember, she was also one of many of the legislators who voted down Medicaid expansion.

I, personally, am against abortion, so I want to applaud her from that lens. However, to say that once you are out of school, or are over the age of 22, and you make over $12,000 a year, you won’t receive Medicaid or help from the state, and then to slap this abortion bill does not make sense.

I bet Lisonbee doesn’t know that a person with Down syndrome can have up to $500,000 worth of surgery by the time they are 18. How are parents supposed to afford that? How can someone afford that if they are only making $12,000 a year?

In my opinion, this bill was a power grab, a rub-it-in-your-face sort of move.

If Lisonbee really cares about people with disabilities, she should’ve fought harder for Medicaid expansion. Then maybe this bill would actually mean something.

I am 27 years old and have full spectrum autism. I was approved for Medicaid in Arizona, but not here.

Brent L. Gray, Vineyard

Submit a letter to the editor