Republican lawmakers in Arkansas voted on Monday to override a veto by the states Democratic governor and approve a bill that requires voters to show photo identification at the polls, prompting an outcry from civil libertarians who vowed to fight the law. Legislators in the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives voted 52-45 to override Democratic…
Category: State Government
Report Estimates Employer Costs From States’ Refusal To Expand Medicaid
According to Bloomberg, the report by Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. estimates the cost to employers to be $1 billion. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on state-level decisions and developments related to the expansion. Bloomberg: Refusal To Expand Medicaid May Cost Employers $1 Billion Governors who refuse to expand their Medicaid programs for the poor…
Activists, Lawmakers Wrestle With Medicaid Expansion
This aspect of the health law is a hot topic in Texas, Florida, California and Missouri — among other places. Meanwhile, a Medicare trustee questions the viability of the federal funding commitment. The Hill: Medicare Trustee Doubts Future Funding For Medicaid Expansion A Medicare trustee is questioning whether the federal government will maintain its commitment…
Marijuana Legalization May Be Unstoppable
On Tuesday, US Attorney General Eric Holder told America to expect a decision “soon” on how he’ll respond to the recent legalization of pot by Colorado and Washington state. To which the rest of the country has basically said, “Whatever, dude.” The same day, legislative committees in New Mexico and Hawaii approved bills to decriminalize…
It’s official: The feds will run most Obamacare exchanges
Friday was a very important day for health policy days. It was the last day for states to tell the federal government whether they wanted any part in running the Affordable Care Act health exchanges come 2014. The federal government did not get many takers. Some of the most closely watched states, including Florida and…
The Cost of the Death Penalty to California
Here is an infographic from the California Innocence Project about the cost of maintaining a death row in the California penal system. Embedded from CA Innocence Project
In Some States, Opposition To Medicaid Expansion Leading Employers To Brace For Higher Health Care Costs
The Wall Street Journal reports on this trend. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on state-specific developments regarding the debates over expanding the health program for low-income people. The Wall Street Journal: In Medicaid, A New Health-Care Fight Employers in several states are bracing for higher health-care costs as some governors, worried about the impact…
Michigan GOP Would Force Women To Undergo Invasive Ultrasounds Before Getting An Abortion
Michigan Republicans introduced a mandatory ultrasound bill this week with a carefully-worded clause that threatens to stir up controversy that first erupted during the height of last year’s “War on Women.” By stipulating that the ultrasounds must use the “most technologically advanced equipment on site,” Michigan lawmakers would require women seeking abortions to undergo…
Scott plans $100M campaign vs. Crist
Rick Scott is preparing to defend his Florida governorship with the most expensive reelection campaign in state history, drawing up plans for a battleship-sized political operation aimed at overcoming the Republican’s deep personal unpopularity. The anticipated price tag, according to sources familiar with Scott’s plans: $100 million. Scott is no stranger to heavy spending; the…
Michigans Rick Snyder Becomes Sixth GOP Governor To Back Health Laws Medicaid Expansion
News outlets examine the political dynamics spurring some former opponents of the law to sign onto one of its most significant provisions. The Associated Press/Washington Post: Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Backs Expanding Medicaid To Michigans Uninsured In US Health PlanRepublican Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday backed the extension of Medicaid coverage to 470,000 residents…
Report: Ohio Secretary Of State’s Restrictive Voting Hours Hurt Urban Voters
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) became one of the most notorious election officials in the country after his many attempts to restrict voting and discard ballots. Husted banned evening and weekend voting hours in all 88 boards of election, in spite of multiple counties‘ requests to stay open to accommodate people who could…
McDonnell Doesn’t Rule Out Signing GOP’s Secret Redistricting Plan
Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) expressed displeasure Monday with the Republican Senate’s sneaky maneuver to subvert majority rule and gerrymander the Senate in such a way that could give themselves a super-majority — but has not yet said whether he would veto the bill. But to live up to his previous promises, he will have to…
Republicans Brag They Won House Majority Because Of Gerrymandering
In a classic Kinsley gaffe, the Republican State Leadership Committee released a report boasting that the only reason the GOP controls the House of Representatives is because they gerrymandered congressional districts in blue states. The RSLC’s admission came in a shockingly candid report entitled, “How a Strategy of Targeting State Legislative Races in 2010 Led…
Scott in a very bad position
40% of Republicans would prefer someone else Scott’s approval rating is just 33%, with 57% of voters disapproving of him. Scott’s numbers had gradually improved over the course of 2012, but these numbers represent a regression from early November when he was at a 37/48 spread. Scott meets with near universal disapproval from Democrats (21/71)…
New York Governor Announces $1 Billion Green Bank And $1.5 Billion Solar Program
In his State of the State address yesterday, Cuomo outlined plans for a new billion-dollar “green bank” to leverage private funds for deploying clean energy technologies, announced a 10-year expansion of the state’s solar program by increasing funds $150 million per year, and named a new cleantech czar to oversee the efforts. The cumulative impact…
States Continue Efforts To Advance Health Exchanges
States look for creative ways to publicize the online marketplaces where people can shop for and purchase coverage beginning next fall. Meanwhile, Minnesota legislators introduce a measure to set up such a market, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott releases new, much smaller estimates of the cost of expanding that state’s Medicaid program. Politico: States Struggle…
Florida Gov. Rick Scott Wants A Favor—From Obama
Last June, after the Supreme Court decision making the Medicaid expansion optional for the states, Scott said he won’t take the money. But when Florida hospitals realized Scott’s decision could cost them about $650 million a year in other federal payments, they started lobbying furiously to get him to change his mind. So now,…
Medicaid Cost Estimates Trigger Florida Flap
Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s concerns about the health law’s Medicaid expansion during a meeting Monday with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is continuing to draw criticism that he is exaggerating the potential cost. The Associated Press: Fla. Gov. Under Fire For Health Care Cost Estimate Gov. Rick Scott is again facing criticism that he is overstating the potential…
Florida Governor Inflates Cost Of Medicaid Expansion By 2,600% To Avoid Implementing Obamacare
Internal email messages uncovered by Health News Florida reveal that Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) is knowingly citing inaccurate cost estimates to justify his refusal to expand Florida’s Medicaid program. Though the governor’s office is fully aware that the numbers are wrong, Scott continues to use them anyway, the documents show. Florida, which has one…
Virginia Lawmaker Wants To Make Voting Even Harder With New ID Law
A Virginia General Assembly member intends to add more limits to the state’s voter ID law in time for the next election, warning of voter impersonation. Republican Delegate Mark Cole (VA) thinks the standing law is too flexible and will introduce a new voter ID bill that would prevent voters from using documentation like paycheck…