Georgia Lieutenant Governor Candidates Clash Over Medicaid Expansion
Georgia's lieutenant governor race between Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin and Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal has sharpened into a debate over Medicaid expansion, among other issues, during two debates hosted by the Atlanta Press Club and 11Alive this week. McLaurin is campaigning on fully expanding Medicaid, saying hundreds of thousands of uninsured Georgians, especially in rural areas, need coverage, and he criticized Gov. Brian Kemp's Pathways to Coverage program for spending more on consulting contracts than care. Dolezal backs a more limited "intelligent" expansion plan proposed by Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson, arguing full expansion would push people off private insurance onto a government plan. Early voting is already underway in Georgia ahead of the election.