In their Republican runoff for a state House seat, Jackson County Justice of the Peace Wayne Long and Independence County Judge Robert Griffin are at odds about abolishing the state's Medicaid program that provides services to more than 1 million Arkansans.
Long, who lives near Aberdeen, said he favors defunding the state's Medicaid program.
Griffin, who lives north of Newark, said he opposes such a move.
Long and Griffin are seeking the Republican nomination in House District 39 in the June 21 runoff. The House district covers part of White, Jackson and Independence counties. Early voting in the runoff starts Tuesday.
The two candidates advanced to the runoff as the two top vote-getters among three candidates in the May 24 primary Griffin received 1,656 votes, Long tallied 1,326 votes and state Rep. Craig Christiansen of Bald Knob, earned 1,183 votes, according to the secretary of state's website.
Christiansen said that he doesn't plan to endorse either Griffin or Long.
"My position right now is to let the candidates do what they need to do to better position themselves ... and politely do my work until the end of my term vigorously and support the winner," said Christiansen, who has served in the state House of Representatives since 2019.
The winner of the Republican runoff in House District 39 will take on Libertarian candidate Clayton Hall in the Nov. 8 general election.
Long, 60, has served as a Jackson County justice of the peace since 2019. He is a farmer and small business owner. He is married with three adult sons.
Griffin, 67, has served a dozen years as Independence County judge. He previously served six years on the Newark School Board and five years on the Cedar Ridge School Board. He is the owner and manager of four family-owned corporations in agriculture. He is married and has one grown daughter.
Long said voters should cast their ballots for him because he is passionate about protecting "our freedom" and he is willing to fight President Joe Biden or anyone else that threatens it.
He said that voters have a clear choice in the GOP runoff in House District 39.
"If they are happy with how the State and Federal governments are functioning they should vote for my opponent, because he will not rock the boat," Long said in a written statement. "If they want someone who will fight to restore a smaller, constitutionally limited government, then they should vote for Wayne Long."
But Griffin countered that he is the only proven constitutional conservative in the runoff that knows how to achieve change and not just talk about doing so.
"It is apparent Mr. Long has not reviewed my history as a change agent for lower costs and limited taxes by gaining consensus of the governing body," he said in a written statement. "This began in my first term as a school board member and has continued in my 12 years as county judge."
Griffin said that he testified before Congress in 2013 against President Obama's National Blueways System in order to protect Arkansans, including the people in House District 39, against a federal land grab in drainage areas in the White River.
In September 2015, he switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party and ran for reelection as a Republican for county judge.
Griffin said he would sign letters of support for grants to foster economic development in House 39.
Long said that "if the funding has already been appropriated then I would [support grants for economic development.]
"However, I would not vote to fund such projects. It is not the government's job to pick winners and losers in the business world," he said.
Long said his top priorities would include protecting gun rights and the unborn, reducing the size and power of state government in order to eliminate the state's individual income taxe, and returning local control of the public schools because "our students are being indoctrinated, not educated."
Griffin said his top priorities would include continue cutting state taxes without creating unfunded mandates on local governments that create a tax burden on local government, and helping to attract more jobs to House District 39.
He said he also wants to get to know each of his fellow representatives and the main issues in their districts so they become familiar with him and they can seek to achieve consensus.
AXING MEDICAID
Long said that he believes that taxpayer-funded health care should be abolished in all forms and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
That's "because private insurance was much better than these socialized medical programs," and "the free market always encourages lower prices and better services," he said.
"Medicaid is just another state welfare program," he said. "Historically in our country, welfare was not needed because the churches, local fraternal organizations and individuals funded charitable giving to those that they knew were truly in need through no fault of there own."
Griffin said that many single parents are working and Long's views could put their children at risk.
"For a single mother with 2 children, in Arkansas, they become eligible for Medicaid making $30,630 or less," he said. "Helping them achieve being self-sufficient and fully employed is a goal.
"What is most disturbing about Mr. Long's response and viewpoint is that he says Medicare should be defunded," Griffin said. "They paid in their taxes for this benefit and to deny senior citizens of this benefit is simply awful and is a direct attack on our senior citizens."
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 644,372 people in Arkansas were enrolled in Medicare in 2020.
The state's Medicaid program had 1,109,503 people enrolled as of April 30, and "we were trending to spend $9.39 billion for the [fiscal year 2022 that ends June 30] at that time," said state Department of Human Services spokesman Gavin Lesnick.
"That amounts to a $7.62 billion federal match and $1.79 billion state share," for fiscal 2022 that ends June 30, he said. "That budget may still change, depending on when some payments are captured in June/July, they can move into the next fiscal year."
Long said he opposes the state's Medicaid expansion that provides health insurance coverage to about 340,000 low-income Arkansans because he doesn't see any constitutionally-delegated authority for government to be involved in health care. The federal government pays for 90 % of the cost of the state's Medicaid expansion program and the state covers the other 10%.
Griffin said he wants to see legislation on the state's Medicaid expansion program before taking a position on the program.
"I can't comment on what I haven't seen," he said. "If people are working and have jobs with no health insurance, I would not want to put children at risk. The depth of this issue would have to reviewed for an intelligent comment.