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Wisconsin Republicans to vote on killing Medicaid expansion
By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press
May 08, 2019 09:24 PM
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Gov. Tony Evers speaks at a news conference regarding Medicaid expansion as Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, left, stands next to him, at Milwaukee City Hall, Thursday, May 2, 2019.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP
Mike De Sisti
MADISON, Wis.
Wisconsin Republicans are preparing to scrap expanding Medicaid, legalizing medical marijuana, raising the minimum wage and a host of other priorities of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
The vote Thursday in the Legislature’s budget committee comes as Republicans begin dismantling the Evers spending plan to create their own version to approve later this summer.
Evers and Democrats remain defiant, saying the public is on their side in support of expanding Medicaid. They ran on their promise to expand Medicaid and believe their victories in 2018 were due in large part to that position. Polls also show broad public support.
But Republican legislative leaders aren’t bending from their long-held opposition, even as some GOP lawmakers have publicly talked about trying to find a compromise.