On the Arkansas Times, Part II

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David Ramsey of the Arkansas Times regularly distinguished himself this session with his thorough coverage of the debate over Medicaid expansion. His account of the creation of the “private option” -- perhaps the biggest increase in the size and scope of state government in my lifetime -- was educational and gripping. But occasionally his work told us more about David Ramsey than it did about Medicaid expansion. One of the areas where his article fell short was in his discussion of the … [Read more...]

The Greatest Untold Story of the 89th General Assembly

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You haven’t read about this story in the mainstream media. It wasn’t reported during the legislative session, and perhaps it would never have been reported if it weren’t for The Arkansas Project and the folks at Arkansas Carry. But what you are about to read is the story of what may be the most significant (pro-liberty) accomplishment of the 89th General Assembly.  In late February, the legislature considered HB1408, a bill that would have legalized carrying a firearm openly in … [Read more...]

Wow, Senator Rapert, That Was A Quick Three Weeks!

Before last year's election, Senator Rapert said expanding Medicaid would turn Arkansas into a "candy land" of entitlements.

Less than a week ago, Senator Jason Rapert announced at AAI’s Conway town hall that he wanted the legislature to delay passage of the “private option” Medicaid expansion. Less than 72 hours ago, Rapert reiterated his call for delay, specifying this time that the legislature needed to take three weeks off to go visit with constituents about the plan. Late last night, however, just 48 hours after re-issuing the call for delay across state media, Rapert announced his intentions to support the … [Read more...]

AFP on Medicaid: ‘Take Time To Get It Right’

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Our friends at AFP-Arkansas have released a new ad against the Medicaid "private option." You should take 30 seconds to watch it because, well, it's really good: … [Read more...]

Speaker Carter: ‘We Have Always Been at War with Eastasia’

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Yesterday afternoon, in an act of courage, Congressman Rick Crawford released a stellar press release condemning the “private option” or the “Arkansas Medicaid plan.” Crawford -- who I have sometimes disagreed with in the past -- could not be more right on this issue. In his release, he said: In my view, the current un-winnable situation in which state legislators find themselves will become significantly worse if they set up a government-funded private insurance program and are forced … [Read more...]

Dissecting the “Private Option” With Paul Harrell

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Below you will find my interview with Paul Harrell on The Paul Harrell Program from last week. We did two segments (as opposed to our regular one segment) so we could adequately dissect the DHS numbers on the Medicaid "private option." Enjoy: And, as a special bonus, I'll be on The Dave Elswick Show tomorrow live from the capitol at 3:30 to discuss Medicaid expansion. … [Read more...]

The Verdict Is In: Time for Conservatives to Abandon the “Private Option”

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For the last several weeks, we have heard a few Republican legislators explain the wonders of the Medicaid expansion that has newly been christened the “private option." It was allegedly the Medicaid model to end all models; the real conservative solution to grappling with Obamacare that we had all been longing for. Unfortunately, the Department of Health Services deflated this daydream yesterday when they released their fiscal analysis of the three Medicaid options for the state. The … [Read more...]

Obamacare Is Crumbling — But No One Told Mark Pryor

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Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a nonbinding resolution by 79-20 to repeal the Medical Device Tax. This tax, which went into effect in January, is scheduled to suck about $30 billion out of the economy over the next 10 years. The vote garnered significant bipartisan support: 34 Senate Democrats voted for the measure. Many of these Democrats -- including Arkansas’s son Mark Pryor -- voted for the original Obamacare bill, so the vote indicates a significant shift. It spells bad news for … [Read more...]