Empowering patient voices through voter registration
While roughly 83% of adults in the United States will visit a health care provider in the next year, an estimated
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2017 State Legislative Session Recap
May 30, 2017
The 2017 South Dakota Legislative Session ended on March 27 with 388 bills introduced. This was a decrease from 418 in 2016. Up until the 2016 General Election, Medicaid expansion was expected to take center stage for legislators to consider in 2017. ACS CAN supports expansion and was gearing up to work on the issue in 2017. Due to changing factors at the national and state levels, it became clear Medicaid expansion would not be moved forward by Governor Dennis Daugaard or the legislature.
The state budget took center stage with lower than projected revenue returns. With concerns with revenue comes a renewed emphasis to ensure adequate funding is in place for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs. These programs prevent youth smoking, help smokers quit and ultimately save lives and money. Due to the work of ACS CAN volunteer advocates across the state, funding was kept in place for the coming fiscal year.
Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold new public policies that promote prevention and early detection of cancer. As in previous legislative sessions, the South Dakota government relations team continued to discuss opportunities for legislators to consider. From increased funding for All Women Count, South Dakota’s breast and cervical cancer screening program, to renewed funding for colorectal cancer screenings, legislators continue to be reminded of the important role they could play in saving lives and helping defeat this disease.