By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports
It might seem like deja vu in House Health and Welfare this morning as the committee considers a Medicaid expansion sideboard bill — one that, with amendments from the Senate, is nearly identical to the House version that the Senate Health and Welfare committee voted to hold last week.
But there are key differences in this hearing. Keep a few things in mind:
- Five Republican members of the House Health and Welfare committee opposed the original work requirement bill when it hit the House floor: Reps. Fred Wood, Jarom Wagoner, Marc Gibbs, Laura Lickley, and Mike Kingsley. Those five had initially joined their Republican colleagues to send 277 out of committee with no recommendation, then ultimately voted against it with Republicans. Now that this is the final stop before the amended Senate bill goes to the House floor, their votes might change.
- Chairman Wood tells me Rep. Chad Christensen, one of the Republican committee members who voted for the bill on the House floor, is absent today, and doesn’t have a substitute. That will affect what could be a close vote. Other Republican committee members who supported the original work requirement bill: Reps. Megan Blanksma, Bryan Zollinger, John Green, and bill sponsor John Vander Woude.
- Just because the Senate amended the bill doesn’t mean the House can’t also amend it. Expect some competing tweaks.
