Republicans give Medicaid expansion unfavorable report

HELENA (AP) — A Republican-led committee allowed nearly three hours of testimony in favor of a proposal to expand Medicaid to about 70,000 low-income Montanans before voting along party lines to give the bill an unfavorable report.

Many of the more than 200 supporters present spoke for and about a dozen people spoke against House Bill 249 known as the "Healthy Montana Plan" in a hearing that lasted 6½ hours Friday night.

Ten Republicans voted for and seven Democrats against a motion in the House Human Services Committee to pass the measure to the House floor with a recommendation that representatives vote against it.

"To have that outcome is really disappointing," Democratic Rep. Jenny Eck said after the committee adjourned. "Just the disparity between all the supporters and such little opposition and then to have that not recognized in the vote is frustrating."

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, who has been pushing the proposal since 2013, has said Montana must make health insurance available for those who struggle to make ends meet.

(Details on Monday's Havre Daily News.)