Arkansas GOP leader floats special session on Medicaid

The top Republican in the Arkansas House says he thinks the Legislature should wait until a special session to deal with the budget bill for a proposal to expand health insurance to low-income Arkansans. Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe says he still wants lawmakers to deal with the issue during the regular session.

House Majority Leader Bruce Westerman said Monday he thinks the best approach on addressing the proposal is to take up the enabling legislation during the regular session but come back for a special session to vote on the appropriation bill for it.

Beebe has said the federal government gave Arkansas permission to use federal dollars to buy private insurance for low-income workers newly eligible for Medicaid under the health-care law.

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