Snyder's plans for fixing roads, expanding Medicaid stalled by GOP
April 10, 2013 at 1:00 am
Snyder's plans for fixing roads, expanding Medicaid stalled by GOP
But gov remains optimistic as state budget talks resume
By Chad Livengood
Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Lansing — Gov. Rick Snyder's efforts to expand the state's Medicaid health program and hike road funding have stalled with fellow Republicans, especially endangering the initiative to increase the government-subsidized health insurance rolls.
Neither proposal has gained traction among GOP legislators opposed to higher taxes and more government entitlements or fearful of a political backlash from tea party activists, who have opposed some of Snyder's other policy initiatives, such as a new bridge to Canada.
The Medicaid and road tax efforts are the biggest issues facing the Republican-controlled Legislature as lawmakers returned here Tuesday after a two-week break, hoping to hammer out a 2014 fiscal year budget plan by June.
A House Republican budget plan does not include Snyder's Medicaid expansion or request for $1.2 billion in new money for highways, bridges and local roads. On Thursday, a Senate subcommittee also is expected to approve a Department of Community Health budget without the $1.3 billion the federal government is offering initially to add 320,000 low-income residents to Medicaid.
More:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130410/POLITICS02/304100356#ixzz2Q2XYqYZ5
