Republicans are hoping for another sweep in 2022 election
On Tuesday, Alabama voters are going to the polls to elect new leaders for the state. The Alabama Republican Party is hoping to see history repeat itself again in this election, and they will maintain their dominant position in Alabama politics. “Just a reminder that if you are tired of sky-high gas prices, out-of-control inflation, and rising crime, you have a choice. Vote Republican tomorrow on Election Day,” the Alabama Republican Party wrote on Facebook Monday. Alabama Republicans hope that this election follows the script of recent Alabama elections. In 2010, the Alabama Republican Party won every statewide office on the ballot. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby was easily re-elected to another term. Republican nominee for Governor, State Rep. Robert Bentley, defeated his Democratic opponent Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks. Then Treasurer Kay Ivey defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Jim Folsom in a race that even most Republicans at the time thought was a long shot. The people of Alabama, however, had grown tired of Alabama Education Association-dominated Democrats and found President Barack Obama’s policies too liberal for Alabama. National voters agreed, and 2010 was a massive “red wave” election that gave Republicans control of both Houses of Congress. In Alabama, Republicans won supermajorities in both Houses of the Alabama Legislature after 135 years of Democratic domination of the state legislature. In 2014 Bentley, Ivey, and the rest of the Alabama GOP were back. Bentley faced former Congressman Parker Griffith, and Ivey faced former State Rep. James Fields. Democrats viewed the 2014 election as so hopeless that they did not even find a candidate to run against popular U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions. The Alabama voters once again rewarded Republicans with every statewide office on the ballot, and they grew their supermajorities in both Houses of the Legislature. In 2018, Bentley was gone, and Ivey had been elevated to Governor. Shelby was reelected to a sixth term in 2016. Democrats, however, were optimistic because their nominee for U.S. Senate, Doug Jones, had just defeated the Republican nominee, former Chief Justice Roy Moore in a special election. It had been the first win for an Alabama Democrat in a statewide race since 2008. Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, who had masterminded the Republican campaigns in 2010 and 2014, had been convicted of corruption in 2016 (he is still in prison to this day). None of that mattered. Ivey easily bested her Democratic opponent, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. In the Lieutenant Governor’s race, State Rep. Will Ainsworth defeated his Democratic opponent, Florence Pastor Dr. Will Boyd. The Republicans also grew their supermajorities in the state legislature. Former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville beat Sen. Jones in a landslide in 2020, so once again, there is no statewide Democratic officeholder in Alabama. On Tuesday, Ivey is seeking her second full term as governor. This time she faces political newcomer Yolanda Flowers and a Libertarian – Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake. Ainsworth faces Libertarian Ruth Page Nelson. Democrats failed to run a Lt. Gov. candidate. Shelby is retiring after 36 years in the Senate and 52 total years in office. His former Chief of Staff, Katie Britt, is the Republican nominee for Senate. She faces Boyd and Libertarian John Sophocleus. This is the first election since 2002 where there are Libertarians on the Alabama ballot. There are a lot of parallels between the 2022 election and the 2010 election. Once again, Democrats control both Houses of Congress and an unpopular Democratic Presidential incumbent, former Obama VP Joe Biden, is in the second year of his presidency. Many political analysts are predicting that Tuesday will be a second “red wave” election, like 2010, that will sweep Democrats out of office and give Republicans control of both Houses of Congress again. Alabama Republicans are hoping this is true of Alabama as well, and the GOP will retain its almost total mastery of Alabama politics. That is for the voters of Alabama to decide. Polls will open at 7:00 am and close at 7:00 am. Voters need to bring a valid photo ID with them to the polls. Various forms of photo ID are acceptable. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey outpaces other gubernatorial candidates in September fundraising
The September campaign finance reports are in, and incumbent Governor Kay Ivey, the Republican nominee, is lapping her opponents in fundraising. According to the campaign finance reports filed by the Secretary of State’s office, the governor entered the month of September with $75,583.16 in her re-election account. During September, the governor raised another $316,011 in contributions. Ivey outspent everyone else in the race: combined with expenditures of $189,915.81 in September alone. Ivey enters the month with $201,678.35 in cash on hand. Ivey is only the second woman to be elected as Governor of Alabama. She is the longest serving woman governor in state history as Gov. Lurleen Wallace died of breast cancer in office during her one and only term. Ivey was twice elected as State Treasurer and twice elected as Lieutenant Governor; before being elevated to governor in 2017 when then Gov. Robert Bentley resigned. Ivey was elected to her own term of office in 2018. Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake is the Libertarian candidate for governor. Blake, as a challenger, enters the race with less name recognition than the incumbent governor. The way a campaign builds name recognition is through commercials: radio, TV, internet, print, direct mail, signs, and billboards, and all of that costs money in a state with over five million people and multiple media markets. The Libertarians did not even get ballot access until late May, so building a fundraising apparatus to challenge an incumbent Governor has been challenging. The Blake campaign began in September with just $834. Over the course of the month, Blake raised $9,325, spent $5,389.90, and entered October with $4,769.10 in cash on hand. The situation is even bleaker for the Democratic nominee for Governor. Yolanda Rochelle Flowers reported contributions for the month of just $2,150. The Democratic nominee only had $673.32 in funds coming into September. After spending just $2777.09, the Flowers campaign was left with only $46.23 entering October. The last three Democratic nominees for governor Walt Maddox, Parker Griffith, and Ron Sparks, were running campaigns that were at distinct disadvantages to their Republican counterparts. Still, ideological liberals, Democratic Party loyalists, and allied special interests did at least fund their campaigns. Flowers can’t raise money, and Democrats appear to have thrown in the towel on this and every other statewide race. Democrats aren’t giving to Flowers, who already has a mountain to climb to establish name recognition, much less win votes on election day. Flowers is the first Black woman to be nominated for Governor of Alabama by one of the two major political parties. Ivey, Blake, and Flowers are the only three candidates that will appear on the ballot on November 8, but there are also at least two write-in candidates who do not have the advantages of a statewide political party working for their cause. Write-in candidate Jared Budlong began the month of September with just $105.23 in his campaign account. Over the course of the month, he raised $918.40 in contributions for his campaign and borrowed another $370.07. Budlong spent $659.72 on the campaign and entered October with $733.98 in cash on hand. Lee county pastor and former Republican primary candidate Dean Odle is running as a write-in candidate. Odle entered the month of September with $12,081.61 in cash on hand. Odle reported cash contributions of $5,735.02, in-kind contributions of $666.40, expenditures of $11,550.16, and an ending cash balance of $6,266.47. To vote for Budlong or Odle, voters must check the write-in candidate as their choice for governor and then write in their name on the paper ballot. Republican candidates have dominated fundraising in this election cycle. Republican candidates have raised $46,753,741.68. Political Action Committees have raised $19,798,304.29 in contributions. The Democratic candidates have contributions of $7,282,846.27 combined. All other candidates, including the 65 Libertarian candidates on the ballot, have only raised $178,572.12 combined in this cycle. By comparison, Ivey by herself raised $316,011 just in the month of September. Ivey has raised $9,898,554.35 in this election – more than every Democrat, Libertarian, and independent candidate combined. The election will be on November 8. If, for some reason you are unable to vote on November 8, you can apply for and obtain an absentee ballot. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Pressure grows for ALGOP response to Katie Britt’s alleged Democratic Party support
In a state like Alabama, the Republican Party rules supreme. Winning a primary is tantamount to winning an election because Republicans hold a supermajority in the state. “Crossover voting” during primaries allows Democratic voters to have a say in who will be the winner, given that the general election is often nothing more than a formality. Since 2010, crossover voting has not been allowed in primary runoff elections in Alabama. However, voters in Alabama are not required to register with a party prior to voting, so there is no mechanism to prevent crossover voting from happening in Republican primary elections because Alabama has open primaries. 1819 News reported that Mo Brooks has accused opponent Katie Britt of soliciting Democrat votes in last month’s primary. During a radio interview on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show,” Brooks stated, “No question. Katie Britt had an activist effort, kind of behind the scenes, to encourage Democrats to crossover and to pollute our Republican primary.” Brooks also argued that she would do the same in the June 21 runoff. “It will probably happen to some degree on June 21 when we have to runoff. That’s not right,” Brooks continued. “The Democrats should never be participating in Republican primaries and vice-versa. But we’ll see how Republicans across the state react to Katie Britt’s outreach program that is coming to greater and greater light. By outreach program, I’m talking about getting Democrats to tamper in our elections.” Brooks’s accusations seem valid to some Republican leaders after Democratic Party executive director Wade Perry posted on Twitter, describing Britt as “pretty awesome” and “super helpful” during the Doug Jones 2017 win over Roy Moore. Additionally, Democrat U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith stated he supported Britt. “She’s running a great campaign,” Griffith commented last year on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show.” “She’s got a lot of assets. I’ve got a Katie Britt sign in my front yard … because the Democrats cannot win in Alabama. We need good government. We’re going to have to vote for good people and start being Americans instead of Republican or Democrat, particularly in Alabama.” Michael Hoyt, the chairman of the Republican Party in Baldwin County, has called for closed primaries. During an interview on FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” Hoyt stated, “Principally, I would be in favor of having a closed primary. I think the party and members of the party should choose who their nominees are. And that shouldn’t be people for Democrats, for Libertarians, or whatever coming over.” Hoyt also said he expected the ALGOP to look into the issue in the near future. “[I] support having a closed primary system, and I suspect that that’s something that will be addressed by the state party, perhaps even at the summer meeting this year, and certainly be taken up by the legislature,” Hoyt commented. “When you’re in an essentially one-party state, and they know the election is determined by the primary, you have to be careful of who is even running in those races, and we certainly don’t want Democrats coming in and voting in them. So, I agree with [that] 100%.” Jennifer Montrose, president of the West Alabama Republican Assembly, issued a resolution requesting the Republican Party Steering Committee conduct “a fully public hearing or meeting with notice to the public to consider the facts and potential sanctions against candidate Katie Britt.” Essentially, the resolution accuses Britt of supporting “a nominee of another political party,” an infraction that can “deny ballot access to a candidate for public office.” In February, the Alabama Republican Party’s candidate committee voted to remove three candidates from its primary ballot in state legislative races because of alleged affiliations with other parties. “[W]e take it extremely serious that we keep the Republican primary ballots pure,” ALGOP chair John Wahl stated. “And what I mean by that is we’re not going to let a Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton come in and run on the Republican ticket. It’s not going to happen. Sometimes it gets hard. It’s very hard to know who is a Republican and who is not a Republican. The candidate committee makes those decisions, and I chair that committee. I choose not to take a vote because I feel like it is important for the chairman dispense all the information to provide the body information they need to make the best decision.” During the Republican primaries, Britt led opponent Brooks by a 45%-to-29% margin in votes.
Jessica Taylor: Don’t be fooled
The way I see it, the race for U.S. Senate will come down to the classic matchup: outsider versus establishment insider – us versus them. We have seen the political insiders and country club communities across Alabama coalesce like never before around mad mama candidate Katie Boyd Britt. The sheer volume of PAC dollars supporting her candidacy is mind-blowing. Over $10M was spent attacking Mike Durant. Watching them use their money and political crony networks to successfully manipulate the image of an American hero and successful businessman Mike Durant has been nothing short of campaign mastercraft, and it disgusts me. Do not let them fool you. I was and remain committed to making sure the next senator from our great state is not part of the establishment. They are the problem. They are the reason Alabama is last in the country by most standards. Even when Republicans had control of the House and Senate, they did nothing to reduce the size of the federal government and reverse our ill-fated course. Republican leadership has failed us. They are losing the battle to restore fiscal conservatism and small government principles. They go along to get along to stay in power and help their cronies prosper. Spineless, weak-kneed, establishment Republicans have allowed liberals to take control, and they are rapidly destroying our economy and clawing away at our freedoms. Katie Boyd Britt is the most establishment-backed candidate we have ever seen, and she is neither a conservative nor a fighter. Ask yourself why the people responsible for this mess want her elected so badly. The answer is clear; it’s because they want the status quo. It has served them well. Unlike lobbyist Katie Boyd Britt, Mike Durant is a fighter. He is tested and proven. He put his life on the line to fight for our country. For our freedom. Mike spent 11 days as a prisoner of war after his Black Hawk helicopter was shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. After being tortured and held captive, he still served out his term in the military before settling down in Huntsville, Alabama, where he built a successful business from the ground up and raised six kids. Mike has had two successful careers, while Katie has had one – serving politicians. She has been moved from job to job, not based on her accomplishments, but because the powers that be have been grooming her to replace Richard Shelby since her college years. I’ve watched it happen. I attended the University of Alabama when Katie was crowned SGA president by the machine. Since then, and especially during my 15 years of working in Montgomery, I have seen more instances than I can count of her lobbyist and insider cronies manipulating candidates and votes. They think they are in control, and truth be told, they have been. But I’ve had enough of their backroom deals and incompetence. We cannot let the establishment candidate be crowned our next senator. Someone brought up and trained in the ways of the Swamp won’t know how to drain it. Plus, someone who has spent her whole life trying to climb the political ladder is immediately suspect in my eyes. We also know for certain Katie Boyd Britt isn’t a fighter for conservative values. She says she will fight in her campaign ads and talks about the issues her high-dollar pollsters tell her are important to conservatives, but she has a pattern and practice of not fighting for those very issues when given the chance. She says she will fight for life. Yet, she didn’t use her veto power as SGA president to do so, though she used the power two weeks later related to a parking matter. She says she is anti-big government and a fiscal conservative, but she promoted Common Core and advocated for the gas tax increase during her time as head of the Business Council of Alabama. She says she supports Veterans and mental health but declined to stand up for both when her Democrat surrogate, Parker Griffith, diagnosed Mike Durant with PTSD. Katie says she’s a fighter, but her actions show different. She is not a principled conservative; she is a polished establishment puppet. Attempting to paint her as a fighter or a conservative is more of the same campaign mastercraft mentioned above. Don’t fall for it. The well-funded super PACs supporting Katie have blanketed the state with mailers designed to subtly shift your impression of Mike. They say Mike doesn’t live in Alabama and that he hasn’t been campaigning. Both are lies. Mike has lived in Alabama over 20 years. He still has a child in high school in Madison County. As for campaigning, check out his social media accounts. He is on the ground working as hard as any candidate in the race. They said Mike doesn’t support the Second Amendment because of a dismissive sidebar comment made while speaking to the Army War College about military tactics to disarm a community. Mike has spent more time with firearms than all his opponents combined. No one in this race knows the importance of the Second Amendment more than Mike Durant. He risked his life to protect our right to bear arms. He owns over 20 guns, including an AK-47 and AR-15, and he won’t let anyone take them. They said Mike isn’t tough on immigration. Mike Durant is the strongest candidate on border security in this race. Mike knows that President Donald Trump was right: They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. And we stop it all by building the wall. They said Mike is backed by liberals. Mike’s disdain for liberals is clear every time you hear him speak. He wouldn’t accept their money, unlike Katie Boyd Britt. Mike Durant’s biggest donor is Mike Durant! Like President Trump and Coach Tommy Tuberville, he can’t be bought by anyone. Mike’s only priority is to serve the people of Alabama. That’s it. Let’s give Mike Durant a third tour of duty. He
Parker Griffith says Doug Jones “dead man walking” over stance on border wall
With no end in sight of the government shutdown, there’s more at stake than the border wall that President Donald Trump is demanding and the paychecks that are being held up for federal employees. According to voters and insiders Senator Doug Jones may be seeing his reelection chances slip away as well. Jones is quoted by the New York Times as saying, “I’m just not going to throw money at anybody who is with a gun to my head,” referring to Mr. Trump’s $5.7 billion request for the wall. “Let’s get the government open.” Former Representative Parker Griffith, a conservative Democrat and early supporter of Jones told the Times, “He’s a dead man walking.” Griffith followed by noting that the electorate math doesn’t favor democrats saying, “He leaned into his base, and his base is not big enough to elect him.” Jones, who filled the seat left vacant by Jeff Sessions when he became Trump’s first Attorney General, is widely considered to be one the most vulnerable senator in the country. CNBC listed the seat as one of the seven most likely to flip. The Hill listed it as one of five “most competitive”. They reported that, “Alabama is the only solidly Republican state where a Democrat will face reelection in 2020, and while Jones doesn’t yet have a top-tier challenger, the GOP is already eyeing his seat as its best pick-up opportunity in the next election.” In a story titled, “Can Doug Jones win a full term in Alabama” Roll Call analyst Stuart Rothenberg for Roll Call said, ” I don’t think Jones has much chance at all of holding on to his seat next year.” Alabama state Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan told the Washington Times “I’m already calling him, ‘One and Done Doug.’ Our people are champing at the bit, and I’m telling you it is on fire right now in my state.” Ann Lynch, an 86-year-old retired schoolteacher, told the New York Times, “I voted for Jones, I did, but he doesn’t support the wall. I don’t like that, of course. I think we need it. Trump knows we need it.” In the same story, small business owner Angie Gates echoed a similar sentiment. “For us, because we’re a small town, the shutdown is kind of difficult. But there’s also things in politics that may be worth doing. If Doug Jones doesn’t support the wall, I don’t support him.” However, fellow small business owner Pam McGriff, a 56 year-old Republican, would be willing to change her vote if Jones would change his mind. “If he would go up there and balk the Democrats, like Schumer and Pelosi, and say, ‘Hey, I think Trump is right,’ and all that kind of stuff, I wouldn’t mind splitting my ticket.” Sheila Pressnell, 61, agreed. “Senator Jones, bless his heart, he’ll be a one-term senator. The only reason he got it was because he was up against a child predator.” Some disagree, saying that pandering would be transparent and would ultimately backfire. John Anzalone, a Democrat pollster in Alabama said “He’s a guy who’s going to be true to himself. Authenticity is what sells in a place like Alabama.”
Kay Ivey side-steps debate with Walt Maddox
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday dismissed a challenge to debate Democratic Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox ahead of the gubernatorial election, saying only reporters and her opponent care about debates. “There are only two people that ever bring up the subject. Y’all in the media and my opponent,” Ivey said in response to a question about it. Ivey, who automatically became governor last year when then-Gov. Robert Bentley resigned in the fallout of a scandal, faces Maddox in the November election. The Tuscaloosa mayor, who is running on a platform of establishing a state lottery to fund education programs, challenged Ivey this week to a series of four debates. Asked twice if she would be willing to debate Maddox, Ivey repeated a statement from her campaign that Maddox should instead debate “himself” because he had been inconsistent on issues. “When he finishes debating himself he can talk,” Ivey said. Speaking to reporters after a Friday speech in Montgomery, Ivey said she believes the people of Alabama support her agenda. She cited a poll that showed her to be one of the most popular governors in the nation. Ivey did not debate her opponents in the GOP primary. Incumbent governors perceived as front runners sometimes avoid debates with challengers. In 2014, Bentley refused to debate his Democratic challenger Parker Griffith. Griffith responded by erecting a giant inflatable duck in downtown Montgomery to jab Bentley for “ducking” a debate with him. Griffith lost. During the GOP primary, Ivey’s Republican primary challengers argued that unlike elected incumbents Ivey has never been vetted for the position of governor. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Handicapping Democrats for 2018 governor’s race
Last week, we handicapped some of the potential horses in the upcoming 2018 Governor’s Race. We mentioned Judge Roy Moore, PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh, Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan, Secretary of State John Merrill, State Treasurer Young Boozer, State Senator Del Marsh and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. Some others that may be considering pursuing the brass ring of Alabama politics are Lt. Governor Kay Ivey, Supreme Court Justice Jim Main, Jefferson County Commission President David Carrington, Trump’s Trumpeter in the State Perry Hooper, Jr., Huntsville State Representative Jim Patterson and ADECA Director and former Prattville Mayor Jim Byard. You can also add former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville to the mix of possible gubernatorial candidates. All of these aforementioned horses would run as Republicans in the 2018 Gubernatorial Derby. It is assumed that only a Republican can win statewide office in Alabama and that next year’s June 2018 GOP primary is tantamount to election. Therefore, it is only a 15-month race to election for governor. The late Lucy Baxley was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama. She lost re-election to the PSC in 2012. It has been almost two decades since a Democrat has captured the Governor’s office. Donald Trump carried Alabama with almost 63 percent of the vote. It is thought by most political prognosticators that a Democratic candidate can at best get 40 percent of the vote in the Heart of Dixie. However, there are several brave souls who are die-hard Democrats and may be bold enough to test that theory. One of these emboldened is Parker Griffith, who ran as the Democratic nominee against Robert Bentley four years ago, in 2014 and received 36 percent of the vote. Griffith is a personable, former oncologist, State Senator and Congressman from Huntsville. He seems dedicated to making the plunge. The most mentioned Democratic candidate is former Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb. She was elected to the state Supreme Court in 2012, which was the last time a Democrat won statewide in Alabama. She is seriously considering the race for governor. She could be handicapped by the fact that she quit in the middle of her term on the Court and a Republican was appointed by the Governor. State Representative Craig Ford who has served as House Minority Leader is considering a run for governor. Like Griffith, Ford is likable. He is one of the few remaining white Democrats left in the Alabama House of Representatives. In fact, if Ford vacated his seat to run for Governor a Republican would probably take it. The wild card in a potential Democratic field might be the popular young Mayor of Tuscaloosa, Walt Maddox. He considers himself a Democrat. Maddox is well thought of in the Druid City, which is a more populous and vote-rich area of the state than most folks realize. If he got a strong support from Tuscaloosa coupled with the ADC and New South endorsements, it could propel him to the Democratic nomination. He would bring to the dance a sterling record of achievement as Mayor of Tuscaloosa. However, if he has to go through a bruising primary he may come to the prom beat up and broke. Not to mention that the Prom King/Queen is highly favored to be a Republican. He would be hard-pressed to raise campaign money in the fall campaign. Most of the bets would be placed on the Republican. This brings us to another chapter in the governor’s race. The folks who wrote our 1901 Constitution intended for the power in state government to be rested in the hands of the legislature. During the Wallace years, George Wallace had immense power over the legislature. This usurpation of power has incrementally declined over the years. It has culminated with a decimation of gubernatorial power. The last two governors, Bob Riley and Robert Bentley, have been rendered irrelevant by the legislature. Special interests have taken note of this transfer of power and their money has followed. Campaign money that use to go to the governor’s race now flows to legislative races. It is not unusual to see House seats cost $300,000 and State Senate races rise to $1 million. It is going to be a great election year. See you next week. ___ Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state Legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Judge holds hearing in Artur Davis lawsuit against Democrats
A judge is holding a hearing in former congressman Artur Davis‘ fight to run as a Democrat again. A Montgomery judge heard testimony Monday in Davis’ lawsuit against the Alabama Democratic Party. Davis wants to run for Montgomery County commissioner as a Democrat. Party officials refused to qualify Davis, citing his past support of Republicans. Davis was elected to Congress four times as a Democrat and ran for governor as a Democrat in 2010. However, he then announced that he had aligned himself with the GOP and spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Davis’ lawsuit argues that he is being singled out and the party has welcomed back all other party-switchers, including former congressman Parker Griffith, who was the Democratic candidate for governor last year. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Governor Robert Bentley open to Medicaid expansion
By Kim Chandler, Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Gov. Robert Bentley has said he is open to expanding Alabama’s Medicaid program, but the plan would have to be designed by the state and it would require people to work. In a speech to legislators Thursday, Bentley reiterated his past opposition to a straight expansion of Alabama’s Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act. However, the governor, elaborating more than he has previously, said he is willing to consider a state-designed program that uses the federal Medicaid expansion dollars to increase coverage. The Republican governor said a program would have to use the private sector to insure people and also put work and job training requirements on them. “It needs to be tied to some things. If you are an able-bodied person, it needs to be tied to the fact that they are trying to get a job or they have a job. There are some stipulations there,” Bentley said. The Affordable Care Act gives states federal funds to help expand Medicaid to cover people at up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $27,310 for a family of three in 2014. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling made the expansion optional. Bentley has so far refused. Most of the states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act have done so by raising the income eligibility on their existing Medicaid programs. A few states, including Pennsylvania, Iowa and Arkansas, have gotten waivers to use the federal expansion dollars to buy Medicaid recipients insurance coverage through the marketplace or to create state-tweaked programs. Proponents of Medicaid expansion reacted cautiously. “Our goal is to get uninsured people covered. We’re eager to hear from the governor. We certainly prefer movement to a slammed door,” said Jim Carnes, policy director of Alabama Arise, an advocacy group for low-income families. A study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham estimated 300,000 additional Alabamians would be covered under a Medicaid expansion. While Bentley discussed a work requirement, the federal government has curtailed what conditions those waiver states could impose on Medicaid recipients. The Republican governor of Pennsylvania initially sought to require recipients to be actively searching for jobs, but later dropped the idea. The state runs a separate program to encourage employment for participants. “While encouraging work may be a state objective, it is not the purpose of the Medicaid program and, as such, is not part of the Pennsylvania demonstration,” CMS spokesman Aaron Albright said in an email. Bentley said his office is not working on any proposal. “We really have not gone into detail. Other states have talked about it, and they may have turned them down, but now they have a Republican Congress, and things may be different,” Bentley said. The governor has been a harsh critic of the Affordable Care Act. Bentley first announced in 2012 that Alabama would not expand Medicaid or set up an insurance exchange under the federal health care law. However, he has sometimes used qualifiers about not expanding Medicaid in its current form. “I will not expand Medicaid as it exists under the current structure because it is broken,” Bentley said in 2012. Expansion became an issue during this November’s election when his opponent, Democrat Parker Griffith, repeatedly criticized Bentley for his refusal to expand Medicaid. “I hope he does expand Medicaid. I think it will be good, not only for the people of Alabama, but for the hospitals of Alabama,” Griffith said. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
