A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
People and institutions that should know better continue to report that SB-405, Sen. Ed Buttrey’s kick-the-poor-while-they’re-down bill, expands Medicaid to 70,000 Montanans.
As Flathead Memo noted for Sen. J.P. Pomnichowski’s benefit, that’s just not so. According to SB-405’s fiscal note, which Pomnichowski either didn’t read or quickly forgot, Medicaid is expected to be expanded to 46,000 by fiscal 2019.
Now the Rachael Maddow Blog is spreading the same misinformation. The Maddow Blog’s source is an 18 April 2015 wire service story in the Missoulian:
Why did the Associated Press use the wrong number? Because its reporter didn’t read SB-405’s fiscal note — and because a lot of the bill’s backers (Democrats, mostly) were so enthralled with the 70,000 Can’t Wait slogan that they just couldn’t stop themselves from chanting something that was wrong but sounded so good.
I strongly suspect that a lot of the bill’s supporters read neither the bill nor its fiscal note. Instead, they believed what they were told by the bill’s drumbeaters, who shamelessly hyped the legislation as the greatest thing since pop-top beer cans.
When Gov. Steve Bullock signs the bill, pay close attention to what he says. Will he speak the truth? Will he he condemn the paucity and price of the coverage for 46,000? Or will he sing high praises of bipartisanship, compromise, and Sen. Buttrey’s wisdom and compassion? Will — can — Democrats be honest about legislation that they know, or should know, betrays the poorest of the poor?