Summit County Democratic lawmakers urge AG DeWine to take stance against Texas lawsuit seeking to dismantle healthcare protections

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron), state Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) and state Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) today sent a letter to Attorney General Mike DeWine urging him to join other attorneys general across the nation in denouncing the Texas lawsuit that seeks to terminate the Affordable Care Act nationwide.

“The Affordable Care Act has been instrumental in Ohio’s ability to expand Medicaid and provide private insurance options to over 157,000 Ohioans, which dramatically reduced the amount of people without insurance in Ohio,” Rep. Sykes said. “The Attorney General must act to protect Ohioans’ healthcare.”

“If the lawsuit is successful, thousands of Ohio families will lose the foundation and security of affordable healthcare,” said Rep. Galonski. “It is unconscionable to heap that kind of worry onto hardworking people.”

“It is imperative the people of Ohio know their elected leaders will stand up and fight for their interests,” said Sen. Sykes. “Those with pre-existing conditions should not be refused health insurance just because they had the misfortune of a prior illness. We are calling on Attorney General Mike DeWine to publicly pick a side between everyday Ohioans who need this coverage and out-of-state ideologues trying to take it away. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice.”

Since the Affordable Care Act’s inception in 2010, nearly 20 million people have received insurance coverage nationwide, reducing the uninsured rate in Ohio to 6.5% in 2016. If successful, the Texas lawsuit would eliminate Medicaid expansion, end premium tax credits, allow insurance companies to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, remove seniors’ prescription drug discounts, and strip funding from the public health system, which includes funds to combat the opioid epidemic.