While Senate Democrats push for a vote, their Republican counterparts claim they need more time to think. Honestly, what is there to think about? It’s not as if Medicaid expansion hasn’t been in consideration for a year. Even with the recent tweaks in a bill introduced and approved by the Michigan House, this is not a difficult decision. Medicaid expansion […]

This is an historic day for equal rights — and a boost to everyone working toward marriage equality in Michigan. As I write this, my heart is full. Today is a day that was far too long in coming, but it’s here now and it’s cause for celebration. United States Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) […]

Democratic candidate for Governor Mark Schauer calls for leadership while Governor Rick Snyder asks Michiganders to call their Senators…who have already left for vacation. Governor Rick Snyder couldn’t get Senate Republicans to do the right thing for Michiganders and vote yes on Medicaid expansion — or even vote on it at all, for that matter. So now he’s asking Michigan’s […]

They didn’t just fail to vote. They failed the people they were elected to represent. I’m sick, absolutely sick to my stomach that Republicans in the Michigan Senate refused to hold an up or down vote on Medicaid expansion before adjourning for a two-month recess. Good thing I’m not one of the hundreds of thousands of residents who were counting […]

Are Senate Republicans just running out the clock before summer recess? Or are they seriously considering Medicaid expansion’s merits? After a day reportedly spent largely discussing Medicaid expansion, the Michigan Senate adjourned without voting on the issue. There’s no guarantee they’ll vote on it Wednesday or Thursday, when they adjourn for summer recess. I really have nothing to go on […]

We’re so close to making it happen. Keep up the pressure on your Republican legislators. Medicaid expansion passed the Michigan House last week by a wide margin (76-31), which is incredibly encouraging. Now it goes to the Senate for a vote, which is very likely to happen this week before summer recess begins. But pretty much everyone agrees that convincing […]

I’ve never been more optimistic. Keep up the activism. UPDATED with links to a new action tool and a petition to be delivered directly to the Senate. See below. I was hopeful, then I was nervous and now I’m genuinely surprised — in the best possible way. I’m thrilled by the number of Michigan Representatives who voted in favor of […]

Forward momentum and signs of compromise are promising. Supporters of Medicaid expansion — which is pretty much everyone except the Tea Party and staunch conservatives, by most accounts — will be happy to hear some positive news. The House Michigan Competitiveness committee voted 9-5 to approve a Medicaid expansion bill, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Opponents […]

An open letter urges conservatives to “sit out” Governor Rick Snyder’s re-election campaign. That’s how much the Michigan Tea Party hates Obamacare. They’d sabotage the Republican Governor’s chances of winning re-election to prove a point. They published an open letter today railing against Gov. Snyder’s continued efforts to convince the Michigan legislature to accept Medicaid expansion. Never mind the fact […]

The House GOP is dropping demands for a 48-month cap on Medicaid coverage for able-bodied adults. The Michigan Tea Party can’t be happy about this. There are signs of Republican willingness to compromise on Medicaid expansion, a big step forward in making it a reality in Michigan. Yesterday, a story in Crain’s Detroit Business reported that House Republicans were abandoning […]

There are new signs of hope. Let your legislators know voters overwhelmingly support doing what’s right for everyone. When it comes to accepting Medicaid expansion, there are no losers. Everyone wins. And it’s possible that the Michigan legislature may be coming around to that idea. A Democratic source in the House told Eclectablog there’s still hope for Medicaid expansion. Some […]