PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 4, 2019
Salt Lake City, UT – Today, the Senate passed SB 96, “Medicaid expansion adjustments,” almost entirely along party lines. Chase Thomas, executive director of Alliance for a Better Utah, issued the following statement.
“Today’s Senate vote to pass the Medicaid expansion repeal bill is an affront to the will of the voters. Utahns sent a clear message in November that they wanted full Medicaid expansion, paid for by raising their own taxes. This is not a compromise or a fiscally responsible bill. It is simply a repeal of what the voters decided on the ballot. We will make sure that Utah voters remember those who voted for this bill, especially those who voiced contempt toward the involvement of voters through the initiative process.
“This process has been an anti-democratic travesty. We have seen rules broken, the voters ignored, and claims about finances made without any sources to back them up. As this now moves over to the House, we hope that representatives will play fair and reject this expensive repeal of what the voters wanted. We support Rep. Ray Ward’s bill making small, fiscally-responsible changes to ensure long-term success of Proposition 3 and hope representatives will as well.”
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Alliance for a Better Utah is a good government advocacy and watchdog organization based in Salt Lake City. The organization works to improve the lives of all Utahns by ensuring balance, transparency, and accountability in Utah politics, policy, and government. More information at www.betterutah.org.