Beebe: Private option will survive

Legislators worked together to help Arkansans, he says

Correction: The Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus last week held its annual spring meeting, as is its custom, in Little Rock. Articles published Friday and Saturday incorrectly reported that it was unusual or unprecedented for the meeting to occur in Little Rock.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe told the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus on Thursday that he believes the Legislature will reauthorize the state's so-called private option Medicaid expansion program during the next session despite the primary runoff defeat of one of the program's architects earlier this week.

Beebe opened the first day of the caucus's conference, which provides an opportunity for the candidates for Arkansas governor, U.S. Senate and the three congressional districts with November elections to speak and answer questions. The caucus, which represents the states that make up the Mississippi Delta region, for the first time moved its meeting from Washington, D.C., instead choosing the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.

Candidates who spoke Thursday included U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, the Republican challenger for the U.S. Senate race; U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican running for re-election to the state's 1st Congressional District; and former North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays, the Democrat running for the open 2nd Congressional District seat. The other candidates for governor and federal offices will speak today before the caucus.

In his remarks, Beebe spoke about the need to continue working across party lines, citing the bipartisan work that was used to create and pass the state's private option plan. The plan uses expanded Medicaid dollars to help poor Arkansans purchase private insurance plans on a state exchange.

"We set a standard in cooperation and bipartisan support in how you get things done, and Washington ought to take a lesson," he said.

The expansion of the Medicaid program extended eligibility to adults with incomes of up to 138 percent of the poverty level: $16,105 for an individual, for instance, or $32,913 for a family of four.

Those who do not qualify for Medicaid but have incomes below 400 percent of the poverty level may qualify for tax-credit subsidies to help pay their premiums for plans offered on the exchange.

The debate over funding the program almost caused a standstill in the House during the Legislature's fiscal session earlier this year, and the program barely eked through by one vote in each chamber.

"I don't care if you have an R by your name or a D by your name, whether you're black or you're white, whether you're rich or you're poor, whether you're a woman or a man," Beebe added, referring to the legislators who passed the private option. "These people stood shoulder to shoulder and toe to toe and said we're going to take care of 3 million Arkansans. Whether they're directly impacted or indirectly impacted, we're going to take care of Arkansas. That's exactly what they did and that's what they'd better keep doing."

Beebe spoke about the program just two days after one of the major architects of the compromise plan, Rep. John Burris, R-Harrison, lost his bid to move to the state Senate to opponent Scott Flippo, a private option foe. The loss, along with others, has left supporters wondering where they will get the votes in the Senate to reauthorize the program.

Arkansas law requires three-fourths of both chambers to approve budget and spending bills, which means 75 members of the 100-member House and 27 senators in the 35-member Senate.

"I'm still a believer when you have 78, 74 or 72 percent [of legislators] that favor a policy, it's going to be hard for 26 or 27 percent to reject that policy," Beebe said. "There may have to be negotiations to get there, but that's part of what we do all the time. That's part of what I had to do, and the next governor will have to do that."

The caucus members joked with Beebe during the question and answer period, asking if he would consider moving to Louisiana to run for governor there.

Cotton, who spoke via a live video feed, did not get off as easily with the conference attendees. They pressed the freshman congressman on his vote that would have eliminated the Delta Regional Authority, which is a federal-state partnership that works to stimulate economic development in 252 counties and parishes in eight states. The states are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

Cotton spoke for about 20 minutes before answering a round of questions from moderator Rex Nelson, former communications director for former Gov. Mike Huckabee, about energy policy, infrastructure spending and the Farm Bill.

Cotton defended his vote against the Farm Bill -- the lone no vote from the Arkansas congressional delegation -- saying the bill included more funding for food stamp programs than for farmers. He said the version of the bill he supported dealt with assistance programs separately and introduced a series of reforms. That version failed to make it out of the House.

Several audience members applauded Cotton's stand on tax relief, economic growth and his opposition to recent Environmental Protection Act mandates. But, they said, they were puzzled with the lack of support for the Delta Regional Authority.

"I believe you're referring to one of the budgets I supported earlier this year. It includes provisions that would remove funding from not just the DRA but all the regional commissions," Cotton said. "I think Arkansans are not getting a good return on their investments. They're getting about 1 percent or less of all the money the federal government spends on those commissions. ... I strongly support the projects that organizations like the DRA fund, but I think Arkansans can get a little better return on their tax dollars."

Cotton is challenging Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor, who is scheduled to speak before the caucus today. Pryor sent out a statement early Thursday challenging Cotton's vote on the Delta Regional Authority funding.

"Maybe Congressman Cotton thinks he knows better than our Delta families or maybe he isn't listening, either way his irresponsible vote to eliminate a crucial economic lifeline for Arkansas' Delta region says a lot about his priorities," Pryor said in a statement released by his campaign.

Metro on 06/13/2014

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