Montanans rally for Medicaid expansion
The Kochs brothers and their astroturf organization Americans for Prosperity have hit a roadblock in their fight to
kill Medicaid expansion in red states around the country. Montanans, and even Montana Republicans,
do not appreciate these guys coming in from out-of-state and trying to intimidate them. So that's in part why
seven Senate Republicans joined with every Democrat to pass a Medicaid expansion bill.
"These are our citizens, our neighbors, our friends ... who don't have health care," said Senate Minority Leader Jon Sesso, D-Butte, who supported Senate Bill 405. "These are our citizens of our state we’re standing up for in this bill." […]
Its next destination would be the Montana House, where it will face stiff resistance from conservative Republicans and the House GOP leadership.
However, Republican co-sponsors of the bill in the House have said they hope to fashion the same Democratic-Republican coalition to pass the bill and send it to Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock for his signature.
Bullock has been working with Republican Sen. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls to craft an expansion plan who has a message to his fellow Republicans who are still being swayed by the Kochs:
"This is fear stuff, folks," he said. "We can ignore the plight of our poor. We can ignore the plight of those in poverty. And we can be afraid of everything and do nothing. I would ask you not to do that. ...
"I would ask you to vote for a plan that is all about Montanans helping Montanans and all about Montanans helping themselves."
Maybe Montana will be the place where Republicans finally decide to take their party back from their overseers and become a functioning part of government again.