Medicaid funds: Bryant can save ‘Aunt Bessie’

The Clarion-Ledger Editorial, 6/27/8

In the Medicaid funding stalemate, citizens have a right to question if an important public policy issue isn’t getting bogged down in personalities as a test of will.

Republican Gov. Haley Barbour has been adamant that lawmakers should adopt his strategy to address a $90 million deficit in the Division of Medicaid budget and has even threatened deep cuts starting next week if his hospital bed tax isn’t adopted.

Democratic House Speaker Billy McCoy, on the other side, has been equally dogmatic in pushing for a mix of funding including raising taxes on alcohol and tobacco.