Medicaid Funding Struggles Could Send Alabama Legislature into Special Session

| March 11, 2016 

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Alabama is once again heading for a budget standoff. This week, the house committee approved a General Fund budget. The state’s Medicaid commissioner says it would cause severe cuts to the program. The $1.8 billion budget steers an additional $15 million to Medicaid, but that’s short of the $100 million the agency says is needed to maintain services.

“I hope that they’re able to solve this without a special session,” says Governor Robert Bentley. “Obviously I would veto a budget that is $100 million short in Medicaid. They probably would override my veto but that does not preclude special sessions though.”

 Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard says he wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a special legislative session to deal with the the issue.

“I personally think it would be a mistake to call us right back into session until we have an agreement and we work through to figure out what the solution is.  And you know I think some of it you need to wait until after November the 8th,” says Hubbard.

Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal, told WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley more about the budget and the rest of this week’s news from Montgomery.

 

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