On its second try Thursday, the House wrangled enough votes to approve a bill that includes funding for Arkansas' Medicaid expansion, which provides health insurance for low-income people.
Senate Bill 196, an $8.3 billion appropriations bill for the Medical Services Division in the Department of Human Services, passed the required three-quarters threshold in the lower chamber. The first attempt to approve the funds, on Wednesday, fell two votes short.
The successful 77-12 vote kept lawmakers from having to scramble in the final days of the legislative session to approve funding for the private-option program, now called Arkansas Works. More than 300,000 people are enrolled in it.
Earlier in the session, the Senate needed three tries to pass the appropriations bill.
Since the program was created in 2013, regular votes to continue funding for Arkansas' Medicaid expansion -- done under then-President Barack Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- have been narrow, and several attempts have often been needed to pass the bills.
Last year, approving the funds required a workaround that saw lawmakers set an expiration date for the program, with the knowledge that Gov. Asa Hutchinson would veto that sunset and allow the program to continue.
After the failed vote Wednesday, House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, spoke to reporters, expressing optimism that the extra votes could be found among the eight members who did not vote.
Eleven members did not vote Thursday, but enough supporters did.
A Joint Budget Committee co-chairman, Rep. Lane Jean, R-Magnolia, said failing to pass the appropriations bill could put in jeopardy plans to recess the session and go home next week.
"I got things I need to be doing next week," Jean said.
A Section on 03/31/2017