Medicaid: Budget figures should add pressure

The Clarion-Ledger Editorial, 7/9/8

If Gov. Haley Barbour and state lawmakers didn’t already have pressure on them to find compromise for a $90 million shortfall in Medicaid funding, the state’s declining revenue estimate should add yet more.

Despite spending thousands of taxpayer dollars for a special session called primarily to make up the Medicaid deficit, the House and Senate have been deadlocked over how to pay for the gap.

Lawmakers went home last week no closer to a compromise than last month after Barbour called them into special session, which has cost taxpayers $547,974 so far.

Barbour has called them to return Aug. 4.