The Warring Messages of the Private Option

May 17, 2013 5 Comments
38643_web_medicaid-signing

At the Saline County TEA Party meeting last week, Rep. Andy Mayberry told his constituents that the struggle over the private option made him feel like he was being forced to jump out of the third story of a burning building: There’s no way, if I just stand there, that I’m going to survive. I’m gonna burn. There’s a window over here that I can choose to jump out of and I might die in that fall. I know I’m going to die if I stay there and don’t do anything. But I might just survive … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Health Care Boondoggle: Medicaid Doesn’t Improve Health Outcomes

May 2, 2013 4 Comments
piggybank320

Any government program is, by definition, a failure -- unless it improves peoples’ lives. Some conservatives think that improving people’s lives through government is difficult at best (and sometimes impossible), and that the burden of proof is on the advocates of social programs to demonstrate that they truly help people. I tend to agree. So I watched in disbelief as many Arkansas Republican legislators recently went along with Governor Beebe’s plan to expand the Medicaid program -- … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature, Health Care Reform, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

April 14, 2013 4 Comments
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...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Gallery, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Senator Rapert Calls Again for “Private Option” Delay

April 11, 2013 4 Comments
medicaid expansion

Yesterday I reported that state Senator Jason Rapert announced (while attending AAI’s Monday town hall meeting in Conway) that he wanted the legislature to delay passage of the “private option” Medicaid expansion. Now the AP has picked up on the story. According to a new report, Rapert reiterated his calls for delay this morning at the Capitol, saying lawmakers should take three weeks off to go talk to their constituents and then reconvene. Talk to your constituents? What a great … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Medicaid Expansion Carries Hefty Price Tag for Arkansas Taxpayers

March 22, 2013 3 Comments
CP-medicaid-expansion-by-state-AR

There’s been a lot of talk about the wonders of Medicaid expansion from the Arkansas media and from Republican and Democratic policymakers, but there’s been very little attention paid to the real cost. I have previously written that the expansion could cost Arkansans up to an additional $148 million per year. Now, the Heritage Foundation has released a study that shows a more complete picture: As you can see, expansion will cost Arkansas taxpayers a net $665 million through 2022 and will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Health Care Reform, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Arkansas Taxpayers Find Relief In Act 312

March 11, 2013 1 Comment
Act 312

HB1187 is now Act 312 after being signed into law by Governor Beebe today. The new law prohibits the use of public funds by a public employee, school board, city, county, or any public entity to influence the outcome of ballot measure elections. (We’ve previously analyzed it here.) Rep. Nate Bell was the lead sponsor of the bill: in his testimony before the Senate State Agencies Committee last week, he said something I found very troubling: According to Bell, although current law required … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Legislative Free Fall: Are Taxpayers Getting The Shaft?

March 8, 2013 2 Comments
elevator

Representative Kelley Linck has filed a bill, HB1538, that will exempt the Capitol Hill apartment building from certain aspects of elevator safety law. For those of you who are unaware, Capitol Hill Apartments is where many legislators reside during the legislative session. The bill is very short (you can read it for yourself here) but it sends a very bad message to the people of Arkansas. This bill appears to exude a certain level of arrogance on behalf of lawmakers -- think “good for me, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Economic Freedom, Regulatory Reform Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Congress, Your Grades Are Posted

February 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
economic_freedom

Yesterday, Americans For Prosperity released their "Economic Freedom Scorecard." Quite simply, the group ranks all 535 members of Congress based on their votes regarding economic freedom: The 112th Congress Scorecard includes critical votes on such issues as the repeal of President Obama’s new health care law, preempting EPA’s purported authority to regulate greenhouse gases, supporting Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget, ending ethanol subsidies, several Congressional Review Act resolutions to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economic Policy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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