Dems, far-right lawmakers align to stall GOP plan for Medicaid vote

Alexia Aston

The Oklahoman USA TODAY NETWORK

Oklahoma’s GOP leaders in the state Legislature want to ask voters in August to approve changes to Medicaid expansion and the selection process for appellate court judges, but Senate Democrats and ultra-conservative Republicans keep stalling the efforts.

Democrats and members of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus say state questions should be considered during the general election in November when most voters are at the polls.

The latest attempted workaround backed by Republican caucus leaders, House Bill 4063, would put two state questions on the Aug. 25 ballot: one that would ask voters to remove Medicaid expansion from the state constitution and add it into statute, and another that would ask Oklahomans to approve reforms to the Judicial Nominating Commission.

Republicans want to take control of how much Oklahoma spends on Medicaid expansion if the federal match dips below its current rate of 90%, an issue they say is critical for the state’s budget. Part of the proposed reforms to the Judicial Nominating Commission would create a pathway for all appointments to be from one political party, something Gov. Kevin Stitt has long supported.

The Aug. 25 ballot will likely attract more GOP voters, because runoff primary elections will be held on the same date. Several Republican races for statewide office, including the governorship, are expected to go to the runoff ballot.

The measure to send the questions to the August ballot passed the House, but has stalled twice in the Senate because it doesn’t have enough support, said Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle.

He said some lawmakers want to place the issues on the August ballot not to attract more Republicans, but to streamline the ballots Oklahomans will vote on this year.

“My theory is, if we break them up, it will give Oklahomans more time to properly research each individual measure and inform themselves,” Paxton said. “Having too many issues to vote on could cause voter fatigue and result in people just simply voting no.”

The House and Senate have already considered placing such measures on the August ballot multiple times, though they’ve failed over and over again. Republicans have a supermajority in the House and Senate and should be able to pass what they want. However, infighting has delayed progress on certain priorities, like controlling Medicaid expansion.

Ballot measures that fail to receive the necessary 32 votes in the Senate to send them to the August ballot will be forced to the November general elec-

tion. The effort to push the issues to the August ballot has manifested through various bills and legislative maneuvers.

The Freedom Caucus first flexed its political muscle in the Senate on April 9 when its members joined Senate Democrats in derailing the initial attempt through House Joint Resolution 1024 to ask voters in August to change the Constitution to reform the Judicial Nominating Commission.

The measure would ask voters to remove political party restrictions from the Judicial Nominating Commission along with rules barring the three atlarge members from being a lawyer or having an immediate family member who is a lawyer.

The Republican lawmakers who joined the Democrats in the 27-17 vote include known members of the Freedom Caucus, like Sens. Shane Jett, of Shawnee; George Burns, of Pollard; Dusty Deevers, of Elgin; Randy Grellner, of Cushing; Julie McIntosh, of Porter; Dana Prieto, of Tulsa; and Lisa Standridge, of Norman. Other Republicans who voted against the provision include Sens. Brian Guthrie, of Bixby, and Darcy Jech, of Kingfisher.

At the time, Jett, chair of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, told The Oklahoman members of his group voted against the special election provision because they agreed with Democratic arguments about moving the state question to the November general election. He said when the vote is reconsidered, caucus members could change their minds if presented with a compelling argument to hold the vote in August.

The Senate reconsidered the measure on April 14, when the special election provision failed a second time.

That same day, the Senate passed House Bill 4440 through a 30-8 vote. House Bill 4440 would require a special election in August to ask voters to give lawmakers the power to reel in Medicaid expansion by removing it from the state constitution and placing it into statute instead.

However, the measure did not receive the necessary two-thirds vote to send the state question to the August ballot rather than the November election.

All eight Senate Democrats voted against the special election provision along with one Republican. One Republican and eight Freedom Caucus members did not vote on the measure.

The Senate heard the bill again later that day, where the special election provision failed again.

That time, each Democrat voted against it along with Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, Burns, Grellner and Prieto. Other known Freedom Caucus members, including Deevers, Jett, McIntosh, Sacchieri and Standridge did not vote. Guthrie and Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, also didn’t cast a vote.

House Bill 4063 was on the agenda for Monday, April 27, and instead of voting on the measure, Senate leaders skipped over it altogether.