Arkansas Democrats' House Gains Threaten Sanders' Medicaid Plans
In a commentary piece, the Arkansas Advocate argues that Democrats' flip of 10 state House seats, breaking the Republican supermajority, gives the minority party new budget leverage just as the Legislature prepares to debate the future of Arkansas' Medicaid expansion program. The author notes the Trump administration's decision not to renew the state's hybrid Medicaid expansion for another five years has created coverage uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of enrollees and alarmed hospitals already under financial strain. With Republicans now needing Democratic votes to reach the 75-vote threshold for budget bills, the piece suggests Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders may be forced into a compromise echoing the program's 2013 bipartisan origins. The legislative session addressing this is expected next year.