‘Nine Nays’ May Derail State Budget

GOVERNOR HAVING BIG TROUBLE IN HIS OWN PARTY TO PASS ARKANSAS WORKS PROPOSAL

In less than two weeks, April 6, a special legislative session, devoted to mostly the presumptive passage of a reworked, Private Option-Arkansas plan to use federal money for an insurance plan for the now 250,000 low-income, disabled, unemployed and underemployed Arkansans on this plan, will take place.

The new, reworked and governor- approved plan is to be called Arkansas Works.

A new name, some new rules and — if Gov. Asa Hutchinson has his way — hopefully a new outcome.

But not everyone shares Hutchinson’s vision.

Not everyone likes new proposal.

These newly minted rules and regulations, approved at the federal level, constitute a virtual revamp of what ultra-conservative Republicans still refer to as Obamacare. These new changes seemed not to have moved some of these bedrock critics of the state’s program of using federal dollars to purchase basic insurance coverage for Arkansans.

There are nine and possibly 10 state senators who have openly said they are not for the new plans.

It takes 27 votes in the 35-member Upper Chamber to pass the Arkansas Works program.

At stake in the passage or non-passage of Arkansas Works is the entire state budget.

Should the state reject the use of federal funds, as these nine or 10 senators will have you believe as unnecessary, then a big gaping hole of upwards of $ 10 billion over the next five years appears on your Arkansas state tax bills to pay at the local and state level.

That is in addition to the federal taxes that you are already sending to Washington, D.C. Those were the funds being sent back to the state to pay for these medical services for local people.

If the legislature rejects the Arkansas Works plan, then the state alone is mandated to fund these already federally funded health care programs in the state using federal assistance funds.

Medicaid is a federally mandated program — just like Social Security.

If you are Warren Buffet — a billionaire — you still get a Social Security check each month — whether you need it or not. You, like Mr. Buffett, paid into the federal system and the federal system is set up to pay back.

Just like federal Medicaid and Medicare — these plans are set up to help fund health care for the poor, disabled and aged.

The federal money the

the state is using today to fund the Private Option will wither down under federal control.

Currently, if Arkansas uses the federal funds to pay insurance premiums for these citizens the state sees a positive cash flow of $170 million dollars a year.

Take away these funds and Gov. Hutchinson will need to find the $170 million elsewhere.

The names of the nine or possibly 10 senators is no secret.

State Sen. Cecile Bledsoe of Rogers has always voted “No.”

And just because her son, Dr. Greg Bledsoe, is the state’s new Surgeon General and is in support of the governor’s plan, has nothing to do with her vote.

Also, she should reconsider because the state legislature just approved a full- time consultant contract, from a parttime contract for her own husband, Dr. James Bledsoe, a trauma expert.

The new contra c t doubles his salary from previous years — all paid by state taxpayers. Her family draws over $500,000 from state tax coffers.

Now focus on homebuilder state Sen. Bart Hester of Cave Springs (who brags he is indeed Bentonville’s state senator). He sees no reason to vote for the proposal.

Walmart, however, is in favor of the plan. Still Hester says “No.”

Also in this chorus of “No’s” are: Alan Clark of Lonsdale; Blake Johnson of Little Rock; Bryan King of Green Forest; Linda-Collins Smith of Pocahontas; Scott Flippo of Mountain Home; Gary Stubblefield of Branch; and Terry Rice (no relation to this writer) of Waldron.

And if these nine are not enough — there is wishywashy state Sen. Missy Irwin of Mountain View. She is a physician’s wife, who has voted “yes” before.

Watching the vote or non- vote for “Arkansas Works passage may be “like having a front row seat to a train wreck,” said Fayetteville state Sen. Uvalde Lindsey last week.

I am sure Arkansas’ taxpayers would not like to be holding those premium tickets during the upcoming special session.