HIGH ALERT: American Legislative Exchange Council and Medicaid Expansion in Arkansas

February 21, 2014 Healthcare / FDA

It appears that the Republican legislators are getting their marching orders from ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council). See here.

This is taken directly from their model legislation:

Model Policy

WHEREAS, Only {insert number} states have governors and legislatures in agreement to optionally expand Medicaid up to all persons earning up to one hundred thirty-eight percent (138%) of the federal poverty level beginning January 1, 2014, as outlined in thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); and

The House voted on HB1150 Private Option Appropriation bill today for the third time, and it failed. There needed to be 75 Yeas for the bill to pass. This bill does NOT need to be passed! Remember: if HB1150 ever passes, you can blame the Republicans for giving you ObamaCare. What is the matter with all these so-called Republicans supporting the Private Option?

Click here to read an Associated Press article by Andrew DeMillo about the Arkansas Senate passing the “Health Plan” and the Arkansas House rejecting it. Be sure to read both pages after you click the link.

A quote from the article:

“I think this is one of the worst socioeconomic policies in the history of our state that we will live to regret,” Sen. Alan Clark, R- Lonsdale, told colleagues before the vote.

Also, Senator Jane English changed her “No” vote last year to a “Yea” vote this year. The article explains:

Prospects had dimmed for the private option in the Senate last month after an opponent of the program won a special election and a former supporter of the program announced she would vote against it. But supporters secured the deciding vote after Republican Sen. Jane English, who voted against the private option last year, said she’d back the funding bill in exchange to changes to the state’s workforce training program.

It’s embarrassing that a senator could be swayed so easily on such an important topic.

The following is the 2/20/2014 House vote Number 3 for HB1150, which failed.

Republican Representative Denny Altes changed his Non Voting status to a ‘Yea’ Vote to support the Private Option

Republican Representative Kenneth Bragg changed his Non Voting status to a ‘Yea’ Vote to support the Private Option

Republican Representative Les V. “Skip” Carnine changed his Nay Vote to a Non Voting status to support the Private Option

Republican Representative Jon Scott Eubanks changed his Non Voting status to a ‘Yea’ Vote to support the Private Option

Democrat Representative Tommy Thompson changed his Non Voting status to a ‘Yea’ Vote to support the Private Option

Republican Representative Mark Lowery changed his Present status to Non Voting status to support the Private Option

Republican Representative Mary Lou Slinkard changed her Nay Vote to a Non Voting Status to support the Private Option

HB1150 – AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES – DIVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2014-2015 FISCAL YEAR.

Yeas

Nays

Nays: 25
Alexander	Ballinger	Barnett	Clemmer	Cozart	Deffenbaugh
Dotson	C. Douglas	Farrer	Fite	Gossage	Hammer
Harris	Hobbs	Hopper	Hutchison	Jean	Kerr
S. Meeks	D. Meeks	Miller	Payton	Rice	Westerman
Womack

Non Voting

Non Voting: 3
Carnine	Lowery	Slinkard

The following is the 2/18/2014 House vote Number 1 for HB1150 which failed.

The following is the 2/19/2014 House vote Number 2 for HB1150 which failed.

The following is the 2/20/2014 House vote Number 3 for HB1150 which failed.

(Consider printing each of those links off and comparing them.)

Also, the last we heard, the Arkansas House will be voting on this issue again at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning, February 21, 2014. PLEASE continue to call your Representatives and tell them to vote “NO” on any bill supporting the Private Option or appropriations for it. The House number is 501-682-6211. Leave a message for your representative Friday morning at that number.

Securing the blessings of liberty,

Secure Arkansas
Arkansas.SecureTheRepublic.com
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