Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he does not support repealing the state’s voter-approved Medicaid expansion program, The Idaho Statesman reported Jan. 8.
Mr. Little’s statement comes after a panel of Idaho lawmakers in December recommended repealing the program, which provides coverage to about 90,000 state residents, according to the report.
That push came from the legislature’s interim “DOGE” committee, modeled after the federal Department of Government Efficiency, according to the report. The committee argued that a repeal is necessary to address Idaho’s budget deficit.
Mr. Little did not explicitly say that he would veto any repeal legislation, according to the report. He said he doesn’t commit on bills until they reach his desk. He did, however, warn that there would be “all kinds of unintended consequences” that would result from repealing Medicaid expansion.
Idaho voters passed Medicaid expansion in 2018, according to the report. The ballot initiative received more than 60% of the vote.
