Under the eyes of a capacity crowd, and with protesters inside and outside their chamber, members of the Utah House voted Friday for a partial Medicaid expansion program that would revert to full expansion in the event federal administrators reject the state’s plans.
Representatives voted 56-19 for SB96, securing the two-thirds majority required for immediate implementation, and which would prohibit supporters of Utah’s Proposition 3, a full expansion initiative approved by voters, from overturning the legislation via referendum.
“We’re proposing to provide coverage for everybody else in the [Medicaid] coverage gap,” said Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, the bill’s House sponsor.