A planned Democratic town hall in Colby became a small-group conversation on Oct. 22, with U.S. House candidate Lauren Reinhold discussing issues with a handful of residents.
The gathering took place at the Lon R. Frahm Agriculture Building. Laurie Wood, the Democratic nominee for State Board of Education in District 5, also attended. The group talked about the Democratic Party’s growth in western Kansas, with participants sharing their recent experiences. Wood mentioned a debate hosted by the Hays Post several weeks earlier involving Reinhold and Tracey Mann. Reinhold is seeking to unseat Mann, the Republican incumbent.
Reinhold said Congress should take a stronger role in resisting the president’s actions. She called for lawmakers to address health care and raise the minimum wage, while providing payroll tax relief to business owners.
Health care prompted an extended discussion. Reinhold said she wanted to reverse Medicare cuts and expand insurance coverage. She also called for strengthening Medicare, pointing to its lack of vision and dental coverage, and said people should be able to afford necessities as they age.
An attendee raised the possibility of a single-payer health care system similar to Canada’s. The group discussed hospital billing and how hospitals operate within regulations in the country’s for-profit health care system.
One participant brought up the use of artificial intelligence to help address unexpected health care costs. He said Citizens Health could not implement the technology on its own but is part of a federal grant involving 10 anchor hospitals in Kansas.
Reinhold also discussed immigration, saying recent deportations had removed people who paid into Social Security and further worsened the health care situation.
Connie Davis, Thomas County Democratic Chair said her team planned to reach out to voters and encourage them to cast ballots, including through a midnight voter outreach effort.
At the close of the discussion, Reinhold offered this message to Thomas County residents: “Get out and vote, and make sure that the people you pick are in line with your goals for your future.”