No, they didn’t have to vote for it

By Cindi Hamilton, Hamilton

I’ve just read a certain ridiculous assertion by the Solutions Caucus candidates in this valley just one too many times and can’t hold back my outrage at their typical misrepresentation of facts.

They—Nancy Ballance, Dave Bedey, Sharon Greef—continue to misrepresent their vote for Medicaid Expansion—which the people didn’t want and voted against—by claiming that they knew Medicaid Expansion would have to pass in some form, so they voted for the “Republican” form.

First of all, neither bill was “Republican” in any way, shape or form! Socialized medicine is now Republican? Give me a break! Because a bill is sponsored by a Republican (in name only) does NOT make it a Republican bill! It was a back-room deal hammered out by Bullock, the Democrats, and the Solutions Caucus RINOs.

The fact of the matter is that the majority of Republicans did NOT support EITHER bill. They voted for the Democrat version ONCE just to prove that the Dems would vote against their own bill (because they already had their back-room deal agreed upon with their Solutions comrades).

Here is the central fact that cannot be denied: without the help of the Solutions Caucus, NEITHER Medicaid Expansion bill could have passed a Republican majority legislature. Their argument that they had to pass the lesser evil is so disingenuous it defies words.