Speaker of the House Jason White and Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann issued the following statements.
Speaker Jason White
“Today, the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Senate recommitted HB 1725, the Medicaid expansion legislation, for further conference and in the morning the House will deliver to the Senate a signed conference report to proceed with a statewide ballot referendum on the issue. Moving through the final stages of the legislative process, it became apparent that opinions still differed on the best way to address our healthcare crisis. Throughout the negotiations on this issue, legislators faced challenging conversations and debates, and although we did not always agree on the best pathway, we are united in wanting to provide Mississippi’s low-income population access to quality healthcare. The referendum process will be two-fold; Mississippians will have the opportunity to vote if they are for Medicaid expansion or not, and if so, should the parameters of the program include a work requirement. This year marks my thirteenth Session and for the first time healthcare coverage for low-income Mississippians has been in a vehicle with real driving power. I applaud Medicaid Chairman Missy McGee for her tireless dedication and work on this issue, as well as House conferees Joey Hood and Sam Creekmore. I also want to express my appreciation to the business community, religious leaders, community officials, and voters for amplifying their support of a healthier Mississippi. This Session proved that a consensus has formed and we all share the same goal: to provide healthcare access to low-income Mississippians. Creating a referendum process for this issue is a clear direction forward. We hope that our colleagues in the Senate will take this opportunity to finally hear from the electorate once and for all. With a Presidential election on the horizon, a robust campaign season with high turnout can be expected. For years, the response to Medicaid expansion was not just no, but entirely dismissed; with this ballot referendum, Mississippians will now have a seat at the table on how we improve healthcare outcomes in our state.”Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann
We had some discussions with Senators today about the possibility of a nonbinding referendum on the ballot and the idea was not well received.
We are disappointed in the outcome this year, but value the discussions which occurred this Session—the first time this Legislature has seriously considered healthcare reform in our state. I remain committed to finding ways to increase access for working Mississippians who otherwise do not have the resources for a simple check-up or an extended hospital stay. A strong work requirement, with necessary exceptions, is a bottom line for many Senators. We look forward to continuing the conversation on access to healthcare in the future.”
31 comments:
It's just like the Mississippi Legislature to lead by punting.
Literally scared to do their jobs so that they can keep their jobs.
If it went up for a statewide vote it, expansion would pass overwhelmingly. Delbert is a coward
By the way, they are all cowards. Give us back our right to call for a referendum!!
We already have a “seat at the table “, we elected you as our representatives to make these decisions! Just like with any of the other difficult decisions that have to be made our representatives find political cover so as not to hurt their reelection chances. All of you have been elected to do a job so please do it. Quit passing the buck, kicking the can down the road, whatever phrase you want to use and legislate. Since term limits will never happen, we as voters have got to demand more from those that we elected. Three years from now vote for a new candidate until we find someone who is willing to make the difficult decisions instead of doing nothing substantial with the hope to remain in office long enough to begin collecting the SLRP!
Blah blah yada yada. Let’s give more sh$y away. Just pass the damn thing so tax payers can have another burden. Hate to tell you Delbert, but unless you switch parties most Medicaid recipients aren’t gonna vote for you.
Excellent post, 6:26 AM.
As for me, every one of these cowards need to be voted out. You have no ability to stand up and do your job.
chicken shit legislators - you are elected to make laws. we don't need you and your overpriced cost if you are simply going to pass the tough decisions along to voters.
Nothing is preventing the socialists from paying for the healthcare of others directly - out of their own pockets, if they really give a damn.
A "non-binding" referendum? Our "leaders" are cowards, afraid of the people they purport to represent.
This represents more comedy than I can stand for one day. It's as if we woke in the middle of a Saturday Nite Live skit. Will Delbert dressed as Al Franken and the Speaker using John Candy's voice.
1) We don't trust the public with an initiative and referendum process but will allow you to express yourselves just this once, but it won't be binding and don't expect us to do it again.
2) We didn't propose this with 'the flag thing' because...well, just because.
3) We are scared shitless to make tough decisions so we thought we could later say, "The People Spoke"!
4) We know a 'work requirement' will not be approved by the Biden administration, but we sound tough keeping that in the bill.
5) We're catching hell back home from both sides and will now vote to continue the session in Destin.
4:57 am, Solid polling indicates that it would be close as to whether it would pass or not. It is in the margin of error and sometimes shows passing and sometimes shows failing. It would probably come down to turnout. The notion that it would pass by an overwhelming margin is wishful thinking by welfare advocates. That is stands a chance in a statewide vote, and would stand no chance at all in a statewide Republican primary means that a referendum vote is an abdication of responsibility on the part of Republican office holders. Moreover, the notion that Republican lawmakers would want to churn up Democrat votes in a Presidential general election is playing with fire -- or dumb -- or both.
Medicaid expansion is inevitable and should have been quickly enacted 10 years ago.
Bamboozled! There is no referendum process in Mississippi. Just ask Mayor Mary.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.”
― Alexander Fraser Tytler
call Delbert’s office right now and tell him to keep working for the sake of all Mississippians. His number is 601-359-3200. Share any of the following messages:
Mr. Lt. Governor: Your inaction on full Medicaid expansion is costing our state dearly, according to our own state economist. Specifically, failure to fully expand will mean we are losing out on the following:
1. 11,300 NEW jobs in the healthcare and social services sector
2. $750 million in increased GDP for the state
3. $44 million increase in the state’s general fund
4. 3,300 - 11,500 increase in the state’s population
Or my own personal favorite, “Give Tate the bird! Fully expand Medicaid NOW!”
This allis Twilight Zone stuff.
What happened to "outside/out of state influences " as an excuse for not passing a referendum ---John Polk aka sausage man
Back in college in the early 70's I heard the phrase "gutless wonder" over 50 years later we elected all the gutless wonders!
NO to expansion.
It’s a power grab from the federal government.
So @ 9:01 wants us to lie? None of what you say is verifiable, and all the evidence from this happening in other states indicates it is Quixotic to believe the dribbling of the medical-industrial complex. As to giving Tate the bird . . .
"the notion that Republican lawmakers would want to churn up Democrat votes in a Presidential general election is playing with fire -- or dumb -- or both."
Brilliant comment.
Republicans care way more about Democrats than Democrats care about Republicans.
Most people think that to get on Medicaid you must be at poverty level or below, but in MS you must make less than 23% of the poverty level. That is an insanely low amount. Raising the amount to 100% of the poverty level would seem to make sense to most people.
Well we don't have a ballot initiative because Queen Mary didn't get what she wanted.
These dinosaurs have too much power.
We don’t have a referendum process because of a do-nothing legislature even though a majority of citizens want it.. We don’t have healthcare options for the working poor even though a majority want it because of a do-nothing legislature.
It’s abundantly clear now more than ever that government no longer works for the people.
We need the Jan 6th “patriots” in Mississippi.
We need more Medicaid and welfare in Mississippi. Look at the economic boom it’s created in the Mississippi delta.
@May 2, 2024 at 9:01 AM
It appears to be the house, not Senate that is killing expansion. The house is killing it rather than letting it pass with a work requirement. Supposedly this is because of House Democrats are threatening to vote against it, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to let them kill it without forcing them to vote no on it. Also doesn't make a lot of sense to propose a referendum, particularly when it's likely to drive turnout for democrats more than republicans. Not sure if the speaker is stupid or actually wants to help democrats or if there is some sort of back room deal to kill this and offer stupid reasons and stupid alternatives like a non-binding referendum.
8:31 and hey, we gave you people a voice on marijuana, but at the end of the day we decided y’all were a little too wrong for our sensibilities.
It is not my responsibility to pay for others health care! No one pays for me but me. I you feel otherwise feel free to give YOUR money to pay for it
Mississippi The Welfare State!
Government spending is not economic expansion. It’s just government spending.
What a big waste of time farce.
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