Medicaid expansion could be moved to an earlier ballot

(MissouriNet) — Governor Parson has announced today that he has chosen to switch a Medicaid expansion measure from the November general election to the lower-turnout August primary election ballot. During today’s press conference, he says the sooner he knows whether to prepare for the extra state budget spending, the better.

(as said) “At a time when our state is undergoing a major health, economic and budget crisis, we need to know exactly where we stand when it comes to a massive spending initiative for Missouri,” says Parson.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat running for governor, says Parson has put his own political needs ahead of Missourians. She says Parson and his special interest allies have already started to mislead voters, telling them that they must choose between funding our schools or access to healthcare. On Friday, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certified the initiative petition – giving the governor a little time to decide whether to make the switch.