Legislative R’s Slash Medicaid Budget

Update: The Senate has voted 27-8 in favor of HB 260, the Medicaid cuts bill, sending it to the governor’s desk. All seven Democrats and Sen. Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston, voted against the bill.

The Senate has begun debating HB 260, the House-passed bill to cut $108 million out of the state’s Medicaid program, including $35 million in state general funds. “Suggestions were received and heard, adjustments were made,” Senate Health & Welfare Chairwoman Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, told the Senate in her opening debate. “Our choices were few - the elimination of entire programs, or, with a sharp scalpel, trimming programs. … Our choice was the latter - trimming services”/ Betsy Russell , Eye On Boise. More here .

• House sends anti-assisted suicide bill to governor
• Closed-primary bill introduced
• Luna: School budget better than anticipated
• State to pay Idaho Republicans $100K for legal costs in primary case
• Funding boost for colleges fails
• Dems win one vote in school budget, requires report of dual credit $$$
• Reform bill has good news for virtual charter schools