Post by pavel on Apr 22, 2016 6:28:48 GMT -6
The Arkansas House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly approved and sent to the governor a measure that, through political and procedural maneuvers, is aimed at preserving funding for the state's Medicaid expansion. Gov. Asa Hutchinson promptly vetoed a part of the bill that would have stopped the funding.
By a vote of 76-13, the House approved Senate Bill 121, the appropriation for the Medical Services Division, which includes authorization to use federal dollars to pay for private health insurance for poor Arkansans. The bill was amended Wednesday in the Senate to "sunset" -- or end -- that Medicaid expansion spending on Dec. 31 of this calendar year.
The House tally -- which had one more vote than the 75 needed to pass an appropriations measure -- was taken with the full knowledge that Hutchinson planned to use a line-item veto to remove the sunset provision and allow funding for the Medicaid expansion, now called Arkansas Works, to continue.
Hutchinson advocated the line-item strategy so the expansion's opponents could vote for a bill that ended the funding. Later that afternoon, Hutchinson made good on his promise and vetoed that portion of the bill, which will now go back to the Senate, where only a simple majority is needed to uphold or overturn a veto.
Read more: www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/apr/22/medicaid-bill-ploy-on-track-20160422/
By a vote of 76-13, the House approved Senate Bill 121, the appropriation for the Medical Services Division, which includes authorization to use federal dollars to pay for private health insurance for poor Arkansans. The bill was amended Wednesday in the Senate to "sunset" -- or end -- that Medicaid expansion spending on Dec. 31 of this calendar year.
The House tally -- which had one more vote than the 75 needed to pass an appropriations measure -- was taken with the full knowledge that Hutchinson planned to use a line-item veto to remove the sunset provision and allow funding for the Medicaid expansion, now called Arkansas Works, to continue.
Hutchinson advocated the line-item strategy so the expansion's opponents could vote for a bill that ended the funding. Later that afternoon, Hutchinson made good on his promise and vetoed that portion of the bill, which will now go back to the Senate, where only a simple majority is needed to uphold or overturn a veto.
Read more: www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/apr/22/medicaid-bill-ploy-on-track-20160422/