Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage has already been featured twice in our long-running series, “At Least They’re Not Your Legislator” (here, and here). Today marks the third mention for LePage, which is probably a record or something.
As The Hill reports:
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said Wednesday his administration will not expand Medicaid until the state finds a way to pay for it, a day after voters approved a ballot measure to broaden the program.
“Credit agencies are predicting that this fiscally irresponsible Medicaid expansion will be ruinous to Maine’s budget,” LePage said in a statement.
“Therefore, my administration will not implement Medicaid expansion until it has been fully funded by the Legislature at the levels [the Department of Health and Human Services] has calculated, and I will not support increasing taxes on Maine families, raiding the rainy day fund or reducing services to our elderly or disabled.”
Maine voters on Tuesday approved a ballot measure calling for the state to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare, the first state to do so through a referendum.
Maine voters didn’t just approve a Medicaid expansion — they overwhelmingly supported the proposal. The measure passed on Tuesday by a 59-41 margin.
As the Washington Post explains, it doesn’t look like LePage can legally follow through with these threats:
Supporters of the ballot measure say that LePage has no choice but to implement it. The measure dictates that the state has until mid-August to get its Medicaid expansion plan approved by the federal government. After that date, a new group of qualifying Mainers should be able to enroll in Medicaid.
If they can’t, LePage could open himself up to a lawsuit. Once a state elects to participate in the Medicaid program, as Maine has, that state is legally bound to comply with federal law.
Thankfully for Mainers, LePage is term-limited out of office in 2018.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Colorado Pols is 20 Years Old!!!
BY: harrydoby
IN: Colorado Pols is 20 Years Old!!!
BY: Duke Cox
IN: Colorado Pols is 20 Years Old!!!
BY: 2Jung2Die
IN: Colorado Pols is 20 Years Old!!!
BY: kwtree
IN: Colorado Pols is 20 Years Old!!!
BY: 2Jung2Die
IN: Christmas 2024 Open Thread
BY: Conserv. Head Banger
IN: Colorado Pols is 20 Years Old!!!
BY: Pam Bennett
IN: Delta County’s Rep. Matt Soper Opposes Birthright Citizenship
BY: Pam Bennett
IN: Colorado Pols is 20 Years Old!!!
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Christmas 2024 Open Thread
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
Responsibility. It's a bitch. Stay the course! Pay for your pie in the sky plans.
Is that why Trump avoids responsibility?
Speaking of paying for your 'pie in the sky' plans….
Or, in the case of LePage's demand, over-pay. (His DHHS estimate is considerably higher than the independent budget estimate.)
Why is it that paying for health insurance is "pie in the sky" while paying for the DoD's additional $70 Billion over the 3% rise requested by President Obama gets a pass?
Why is a budget resolution that "only" wants to increase the ten year deficit by $1.5 Trillion (by "official" — aka fudged — economic calculation) and by an INCREASING amount after those 10 years somehow considered "good governance" by the Grifting Old Politicians party?
Wow…who knew LePage moonlighted as an actor and/or supervillain?
Hey!
make up yer dam mind – either appearance is fair game, or not.
But when that other one looked just like my favorite martian (Ray Walston) weren;t you there to point out that her appearance had nothing to do with anything>
You're right – this guy kinda looks wayy too much like Oswald Cobblepot. But he'd be just as douchey if he looked like JFK, Jr. (when he was alive)
That wasn't me with the favorite Martian. (Vickie Marble?) But I do notice appearance… I'm trying to practice cartooning again, so I'm sketching, with an eye for the ludicrous.
I just think it has to be equal opportunity critique. Females do tend to be judged more harshly on clothes, hair, makeup, etc.
For example, how far do you think a female Bernie Sanders would get? Or a female with Donald Trump's face, hair, and apple-pie figure?
Unfortunately for Mainers, it looks like the state is on track to elect another Republican governor, with two Independents on the ballot to split off the center/center-left vote.
Local control! States Rights!
Untill they do something I don't like. Then fuck that- the
Kinggets to decide.