Beneath Virginia’s Medicaid Battle Is More Fundamental Fight Over Political Path Forward In Trump Era
Virginia was the first state to see its Legislature reshaped by an anti-Trump wave, but while many seats in the House were nabbed by Democrats, the Senate wasn't touched.
The Associated Press:
Republican War Over Medicaid In Virginia A Fight Over Trump
GOP lawmakers are fighting over whether to expand Medicaid to about 300,000 low-income adults, a stalemate that has blocked passage of the state budget and threatens a potential government shutdown. But at a deeper level, the battle is over whether Republicans should embrace more liberal policies as a way of blunting voter unhappiness with the president in an increasingly Democratic-leaning state. Similar fights could be coming to statehouses around the country, just as Virginia's dramatic off-year election last year could be a preview of this year's contests. (Suderman, 3/15)
And in Medicaid news out of Louisiana —
New Orleans Times-Picayune:
60,000 Louisiana Medicaid Recipients Will Be Told They're Losing Benefits: Here's Why
Louisiana officials will have to notify around 60,000 people who are elderly or disabled in early May that they are slated to lose their Medicaid benefits in July as a result of the Legislature's stalemate over the state budget and taxes. Gov. John Bel Edwards has proposed eliminating some Medicaid programs that provide long-term care in order to cope with a $994 million budget deficit. The governor said he doesn't want to put forward such cuts, but he doesn't have much of a choice given the state's financial restrictions starting July 1, when the new budget year begins. (O'Donoghue, 3/15)
