Sen. Missy Irvin’s bill to add expense and time-wasting to Arkansas implementation of health care reform law (and add elements to interpose the state against implementation) is being debated in Senate committee this morning. The doctor’s wife has brought out the Heartland Institute to lobby against FOR the bill. This is an outfit, funded in part by the tobacco industry, that brands as junk science just about anything that calls for safety regulation. It has opposed the EPA and municipal wi-fi initiatives, among others. A roster of ultra-conservative foundations help provide support — Olin, Scaife, Bradley and more. They don’t like the idea of climate change, either. More junk science.

Advertisement

Irvin’s doctor husband also testified for his wife’s bill.

Sen. David Burnett

Advertisement
  • Sen. David Burnett

UPDATE: Sen. David Burnett, believed to be a potential swing vote in committee (split 4-4 on party lines with 5 votes needed for favorable recommendation) is quoted on Twitter feeds from David Goins as calling the bill what it is — a states’ rights bill that is a frontal attack on health care reform that will cost Arkansas millions of federal dollars. He’s dead right. The bill is dolled up with a bunch of words about financial reporting, but its essence (and I’d still like to know who wrote it for Irvin, maybe the Koch lobby that is out in force) is in the opening boilerplate:

The General Assembly finds that:

State officers are not agents of the federal government;

The Federal Government may neither issue directives requiring the states to address particular problems nor command the states’ officers or those of their political subdivisions to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program;

Congressional mandates to the states to enact or enforce a federal regulatory program are fundamentally incompatible with our constitutional system of dual sovereignty;

The ghosts of Jim Johnson and George Wallace hover over these proceedings.

Advertisement

The Department of Human Services and the attorney general’s office say the bill would put Medicaid funding at risk. Surgeon General Joe Thompson and the CEO of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care also spoke against the bill.

UPDATE: The bill failed to clear committee on a 4-4 vote. Constitutional government prevails, barely.

Advertisement

PS: There will be total accountability and transparency on the amounts spent on health care in Arkansas. This bill was, in short, unnecessary, except as a Trojan horse for a trick to block health care reform.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Shop, eat in Arkansas for half price Next article NPR boss resigns; AETN and the GI tract