There are still a few races yet to be called, but what we know already about Tuesday’s results in the state legislature is that an interesting battle over the state’s private option has been set.
Arkansas’ version of the Medicaid expansion, which at last count had nearly 205,000 people on its rolls, was reauthorized in the spring by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, 76-24, and Senate, 27-8. It took mulitple votes in the House to meet the three-fourths majority threshold.
Looking ahead, some of last night’s victories for the GOP put the future of the private option on shaky ground.
By all accounts, the number of seats held by Republicans in the House of Representatives is expected to jump from 51 to at least 64. There are still three races that have not been declared. In the Senate, the Republicans gained two seats, pushing its control of that chamber to 24-11 over Democrats.
Some of the seats won by Republicans, in both chambers, were by candidates that stated their opposition to Obamacare and the state’s private option during the campaign, which is not encouraging for an act that narrowly met the three-fourths majority required — 27 votes in the Senate and 75 votes in the House — in both chambers for reauthorization.
One silver lining for the future of the private option could be if Republican Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson throws his support behind the private option and brings fellow GOP members in the Senate and House with him. Republicans are sure to be more inclined to listen to a newly elected governor from their own party than outgoing Democrat Gov. Mike Beebe.
Either way, the debate on the state’s private option should be a key item to watch for in next year’s general session.
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