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Republicans Block South Dakotans From Voting On Medicaid Expansion

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 13:01
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Tuesday, February 11, 2014 1:01 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Quote:

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota Committee has defeated a measure that would have asked voters whether the state should expand Medicaid in line with the federal Affordable Care Act.

The Senate State Affairs Committee voted 7-2 against the resolution.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard recently asked the federal government to allow for a partial expansion of Medicaid to people up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level.

The measure, sponsored by Democrats, would have asked voters in the next general election if they wanted to expand Medicaid to individuals up to 138 percent of poverty.

Republican Senators who voted against the resolution say this is an issue to be determined by the Legislature and governor and putting the issue to the voters sets a bad precedent. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/10/sd-panel-voters-wont-r
ule-on-medicaid-expansion/#ixzz2t2MSVV8s



The resolution was defeated along party lines, with seven Republicans voting against it and two Democrats supporting it in the State Affairs Committee. Of course they did, because a January poll ( http://www.argusleader.com/article/20140114/VOICES/301140018/Poll-S-D-
residents-support-expanding-Medicaid?nclick_check=1
) found that 63 percent of South Dakotans supported expanding Medicaid under the health care reform law. Can't have the citizens voting for it!

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