Later this week, Missouri Governor Mike Parson will deliver his 2021 State of the State Address. Parson will touch on various topics, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Missouri’s budget. The Governor is anticipated to speak about implementing the expansion of Medicaid, which passed in Missouri with 53 percent of the vote last year. Before its passage, Parson was publicly bullish about Medicaid expansion, saying it would drain the state’s budget. Jen Bersale, the Executive Director of Missouri Healthcare for All, says healthcare should not be a partisan issue. “We have said from the beginning that this shouldn’t be a political issue, this shouldn’t be a partisan issue. We know that people across the political spectrum want their neighbor to have access to healthcare, and that’s really what this is about.” Parson will deliver this 2021 State of the State speech Wednesday at 3 pm.