On Saturday “Nebraskans for Peace” held its first-ever Peace Conference at UNK. Group organizers intend to make this an annual event.

Throughout the day speakers and panels explored a wide range of topics, including the crisis of refugees seeking shelter in Nebraska due to a lack of water in their home countries as a result of climate change to the power of conflict among immigration under the Trump administration. 

Held in the Ponderosa Room in the Student Union, the day kicked off with introductory speeches. Will Avilés, UNK political science chair represented UNK at the event. Around 100 members in the Nebraskans for Peace attended, as well as others from the UNK community who filtered in and out.

Eric Aspengren, Field Director for the Nebraskans for Peace, has been involved in Nebraska politics since 1990, working with groups such as the Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty as well as a member of the Nebraska Democratic Party, spoke for the Medicaid Expansion Ballot Initiative. 

“I’m working for an organization that is trying to expand Medicaid out to 90,000 Nebraskans who still don’t have insurance,” Aspengren said. 

“The galling thing about how 90,000 Nebraskans don’t have Medicaid is that people in the legislature and governor have complained that it would cost the state big money.”

 Eric Aspengren

Aspengren said healthcare may be a key issue in the November midterm elections.

“The galling thing about how 90,000 Nebraskans don’t have Medicaid is that people in the legislature and governor have complained that it would cost the state big money,” Aspengren said. “In reality there (is) $600 million set aside for states that would like to expand Medicaid.” Aspengren said that in the end, expanding Medicaid to the thousands who need it wouldn’t cost a penny and that in the long run it would save the state money since people would have access to healthcare and could prevent health conditions from developing into something more serious that is more expensive to treat.