A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.

20 March 2015

Flathead GOP legislators embrace stingy Medicaid bill

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Hamilton Republican Rep. Nancy Ballance’s Medicaid bill, HB-455, considered the stingy Medicaid bill by progressives, was defeated 49–51 on its second reading in the MT House today.

HB-455 would expand Medicaid to only 10,000 of the 70,000 Montanans considered eligible for it.

All Democrats and ten Republicans (Tom Berry, Christy Clark, Rob Cook, Geraldine Custer, Steve Fitzpatrick, Roy Hollandsworth, Daniel Salomon, Nicholas Schwaderer, Ray Shaw, Jeffrey Welborn) voted against the bill.

All Flathead Republicans voted for the bill:

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Note. The report above is based on the tally reported at 1534 MDT. I will review the tally tomorrow to see if anything has changed.