After cruising on the Rhine in Germany for the past couple of weeks, Jo Mannies rejoins Jason Rosenbaum and Chris McDaniel for the podcast.
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For the first part of the show, the Politically Speaking crew breaks down the latest campaign finance numbers for Missouri's top mid-term election contests. They also discuss the fallout -- and the lobbying -- from the Missouri House's initial "right to work" vote.
State Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, joins Mannies and Rosenbaum for the second part of the show. The former House Budget Committee chairman (and Rock Band fan) has proposed an alternative of sorts to "straighten up" Medicaid expansion. It may serve as a template (along with a House bill from Rep. Noel Torpey, R-Independence) for breaking the legislative impasse on the issue.
During the show, Silvey said:
- His Medicaid proposal would divert money already being spent on Medicaid recipients to a "Budget Protection Fund." That money will pay for the expansion when the federal government's 100 percent "match" goes away.
- The plan would make hospital charges public and alter a state process for licensing certain providers. Those are key elements of a proposal from Sen. Rob Schaaf, a St. Joseph Republican who strongly opposes Medicaid expansion. Silvey said his conversations with Schaaf are "ongoing."
- He will need to isolate Republican opponents. "If we're in a situation where there's five to 10 senators that want to block it, that's pretty near insurmountable. But if there are one or two, the question becomes 'where does the caucus want to go and what do we think we're getting out of it?'"
- There's a "slim possibility" his plan passes this year. But, he adds, once legislators get more familiar with the details, it could receive a better reception next session.
Follow Chris McDaniel on Twitter: @csmcdaniel
Follow Jo Mannies on Twitter: @jmannies
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Ryan Silvey on Twitter: @RyanSilvey
