With cries of foul play on all sides, a Democratic legislator in Virgina resigned over the weekend, and now, without a majority to pass the Medicaid expansion into law, Gov. McAuliffe may simply do so by executive order.
Truthfully, the idea is solid, from a legal and constitutional perspective. Providing for "the health and welfare of the people" -- always a core executive branch function (by order, too). [Accepting 95 cents from the feds, to help Virginia's poorest sick people -- and kicking in only a nickel? A good deal, sez me!] And Republicans have long backed a powerful executive branch. This is that, coming home to roost. We will keep an eye on it, for you -- but here is a bit from the Gray Lady (do go read it all):
. . . .Gov. Terry McAuliffe has lost his battle with the legislature over Medicaid expansion, an enormous retreat from the high expectations he set for a liberal agenda. However, he is thought to be studying how to press the issue by executive action — a legally and politically uncertain course. Facing a June 30 deadline to pass a state budget, Democrats gave in to Republican demands to leave out a Medicaid expansion, Senator Charles J. Colgan said. . . .
Fascinating. We shall see. The politics of Virginia are particularly topsy-turvy, at the moment, with the US House Majority (Republican Eric Cantor) leader losing -- in a primary he thought he'd win by 30 points -- to an even harder right Tea Partier. Crazy, indeed.
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