The Republicans look at Medicaid Expansion as a huge program shift for a system that itself is currently broken. Sen. Pete Kelly wants the time during the interim to look carefully over reforming the system first. He invites the governor to do “quality work rather than hurried work.” While the Democrats plan on holding the entire state budget process up by withholding the necessary three-quarters votes to tap the state’s reserves.
House Democrats said Tuesday that Medicaid expansion would be a key piece to winning their support to authorize any draw from Alaska’s savings to cover costs for state government.
It is expected that three-quarters of each of the House and Senate will need to support a draw from the constitutional budget reserve fund to cover the state government’s costs. The state is facing a projected multibillion-dollar deficit amid low oil prices.
Democrats told reporters Tuesday that Medicaid expansion and education funding are two critical elements for them. House majority members have shared the Democrats’ concerns with cuts to education made in the Senate version of the budget. Those differences are being hashed out by House and Senate negotiators in a conference committee.
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image credit Becky Bohrer AP
