By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff
Idahoans for Healthcare announced Tuesday that Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has endorsed Proposition 2 — the ballot initiative to expand Medicaid coverage in Idaho, which will appear on the ballot Nov. 6.
“Allowing the healthcare coverage gap to persist any longer is not an option. We cannot continue to let hardworking Idahoans go without healthcare. I’m proud that the citizens of Idaho have come up with a solution to solve this long-standing problem,” Otter said, according to Idahoans for Healthcare’s release. “It’s good sense and it’s the right thing to do.”
Charles Manning, right, gives Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter a tour of the new Kochava facility in Sandpoint in 2016. Photo by Alan Barber.
Otter listed benefits of Prop 2 as bringing $400 million in tax dollars “back to Idaho,” and keeping rural hospitals and county clinics open.
Reclaim Idaho, a grassroots political group responsible for spearheading the Prop 2 ballot initiative, released a statement Tuesday following Otter’s endorsement.
“Governor Otter’s endorsement confirms our belief that Medicaid Expansion is supported by Idahoans of all political affiliations, and his support is a signal that we’re building incredible momentum in the final stretch,” the statement, signed by the entire Reclaim team, reads. “However, we cannot afford to take a single vote for granted.”
Reclaim Idaho pointed to anti-Prop 2 mailers produced by Idaho Freedom Action — what the statement refers to as a “dark-money group” spreading “falsehoods” — as motivation to continue educating people on why they believe Idahoans should vote in favor of the ballot initiative.
“In this final week, we must be more determined than ever to win healthcare for 62,000 Idahoans,” the group said.
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