Immigrant families and state Del. Victor Ramirez rallied Monday to call upon Gov. Robert Ehrlich to sign a bill increasing funding for prenatal care to thousands of immigrant women.
“I don?t think Gov. Ehrlich realized the repercussions of his budget cuts in 2005,” said Ramirez, D-Montgomery. “He didn?t think anyone would stand up and say that something is wrong here.”
Ramirez, accompanied by Hispanic women and their children at the Adelphi and Langley Park Family Support Center, said the budget cuts eliminated state-only Medicaid coverage for more than 4,000 women and children who are legal immigrants.
Restoring that care would cost Maryland taxpayers about $3 million.
“We would normally ask for about $7 million,” Ramirez said, “but $3 million is a good compromise.”
In 2005, the General Assembly restored prenatal coverage for pregnant immigrant women, but not health coverage for their children.
“We?re in the midst of an unprecedented immigration debate,” said Ricardo Flores, president of the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice. “Making these cuts was irresponsible and is not the right way to encourage legal immigration.”
“These immigrants have done what they needed to do to be here legally,” Ramirez said.
“Now we need to make them feel welcome here by providing them the health services they deserve to have.”
Ehrlich spokesman Henry Fawell declined to comment on the matter Monday due to pending lawsuits.
He defended the governor?s record, though, saying Ehrlich has increased Medicaid funding by 20 percent since he came to office and has funded health care for about 79,000 Maryland residents.
