August 6, 2020/Media, Press

How Would Tillis Vote on a Medicaid Expansion Ballot Question?

Last night, Senator Tillis *again* tried out a new answer for his opposition to Medicaid expansion, saying that he’d be open to a ballot measure to expand Medicaid. That’s left us with one big question for Senator Tillis: how would he vote on Medicaid expansion if it was on the ballot?

There’s one glaring problem with Tillis’ new dodge: the bill Senator Tillis passed as Speaker of the House. Tillis’ 2013 law blocking Medicaid expansion in North Carolina explicitly left the power to expand Medicaid to the General Assembly – and no one else.

Putting that aside though, Senator Tillis failed to answer the obvious follow up: would he vote for or against Medicaid expansion if it were on the November ballot?

Tillis has tried out every dodge in the book. Most recently, he tried to blame his 2013 bill on a budget that passed more than a decade before Medicaid expansion even existed. Before that, it was that he actually “saved” Medicaid expansion and a series of cringeworthy excuses that all fell flat. Now, he says “we should look at” a ballot measure.

As Tillis said, “I like it when people speak up.”

We like it too, Senator — which is why you should tell every North Carolinian how’d you vote on a Medicaid ballot question.

“Senator Tillis apparently doesn’t even know what’s in his own bill blocking Medicaid expansion, but that won’t stop him from trying out a desperate new dodge to his opposition to expanding access to health care for half a million North Carolinians,” NCDP spokesperson Robert Howard said. “Senator Tillis is asking North Carolinians to show more courage than he ever has as a state legislator or Senator. But since he is open to it — which is it, Senator: would you vote for or against Medicaid expansion?”