The State and Local Tap: Missouri voters approve Medicaid expansion
From Ballotpedia
August 8, 2020Issue No. 218
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
State Politics: The Week in Review
Ballot Measures Update
- To date, 111 statewide measures in 33 states have been certified for the 2020 ballot.
- Thirty-three of the certified measures are citizen-initiated measures. Seventy-seven are legislative referrals. One is an automatic constitutional revision commission question.
- One new measure was certified for the November ballot in Nebraska last week.
- The Nebraska Secretary of State certified an initiative for the ballot that would limit the annual interest charged for delayed deposit services—also known as payday lending—to 36%.
- Seven statewide measures have been on the ballot so far this year. One more is on the ballot on August 4, and the remaining 102 are on the November ballot.
- On August 4, Missouri voters approved Amendment 2, an initiative to expand Medicaid coverage. The vote was 53% to 47%.
- On July 14, Maine voters approved two bond issues:
- On June 30, voters in Oklahoma approved State Question 802, an initiative to expand Medicaid coverage. The vote was 50.5% to 49.5%.
- Proponents of 17 additional ballot initiatives and veto referendums in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota submitted signatures for verification by state officials.
Saturday, August 1
Serafini resigns from Maryland state Senate
- Maryland Sen. Andrew Serafini (R) resigned from the state legislature on Aug. 1. He represented District 2A in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2009 to 2015 and assumed office in the Maryland State Senate in 2015.
- Before he resigned, Serafini was one of 15 Republican senators in the 47-seat chamber. Democrats have held a majority in the chamber since at least 1990.
- Governor Larry Hogan (R) will appoint Serafini’s replacement from a list of candidates recommended by Republican committee officials in the district. The appointee will serve the remainder of Serafini’s unexpired term, which is set to end on January 10, 2023.
Tuesday, August 4
Voters decide statewide primaries in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington
- Five states—Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington—held primaries for various state-level offices on Aug. 4. There were 690 state executive and legislative seats up for election. These included 22 state executive seats, 112 state Senate seats, and 556 state House seats.
- Of the five states, Washington’s primary system is unique. Rather than holding partisan primaries, Washington conducts top-two primaries where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, appear on the same primary ballot. The two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election.
- Across all five states, 549 incumbents filed for re-election to the 690 seats. Preliminary results indicate at least 16 incumbents were defeated.
- Eighteen state executive incumbents filed for re-election. Of those, 15 advanced to the general election. The results for three of the seats were not yet known.
- In the state Senate elections, 90 incumbents filed for re-election to 112 seats. At least seven did not advance to the general election. In the state House elections, 441 incumbents competed for re-election to 556 seats. Nine were defeated, but that number may grow as results are finalized.
- Ballotpedia identified three state-level primaries in Washington and one in Missouri as battleground races. Here’s a look at those results:
- Washington
- Top-two primary for governor: Incumbent Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and Loren Culp (R) advanced from the top-two gubernatorial primary that included a field of 36 candidates: five Democrats, eleven Republicans, and 20 unaffiliated or other party candidates. With an estimated 50% of precincts reporting, Inslee received 52% of the vote to Culp’s 17%. No other candidate received more than 10% of the vote.
- Top-two primary for lieutenant governor: This race had not been called as of publication time. With an estimated 56% of precincts reporting, U.S. Rep. Denny Heck (D) leads with 28% of the vote followed by state Sen. Marko Liias (D) with 17%. Ann Davison Sattler (R) is currently in third place with 12%. Four Democrats, five Republicans, and two Libertarians participated in the primary. The position was left open by retiring Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib (D).
- Top-two primary for attorney general: Incumbent Bob Ferguson (D) and Matt Larkin (R) advanced from the top-two attorney general primary. While results are still being reported, Ferguson received 57% of the vote to Larkin’s 24%. Two other Republican candidates—Brett Rogers and Mike Vaska—received 13% and 7% of the vote, respectively.
- Missouri
- Republican primary for governor: Incumbent Gov. Mike Parson (R) defeated Saundra McDowell (R), James Neely (R), and Raleigh Ritter (R) in the Republican primary for governor. Parson received 75% of the vote followed by McDowell with 12%. Neely and Ritter each earned less than 10% of the vote. This is Parson’s first run for governor. He assumed office in 2018 following the resignation of Eric Greitens (R) and is seeking a full term this year.
Missouri becomes second state to expand Medicaid this year
- Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion initiative Amendment 2 by a vote of 53% to 47%. Amendment 2 was a citizen initiative to expand Medicaid eligibility in Missouri to adults between the ages of 19 and 65 whose income is at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. In 2020, this amounted to an annual income of $17,608 for an individual and $36,156 for a household of four. The amendment prohibited any additional restrictions or requirements for the expanded population to qualify for Medicaid coverage.
- Yes on 2: Healthcare for Missouri led the campaign in support of Amendment 2. As of July 27, 2020, the committees registered in support of the amendment—Healthcare for Missouri and Missourians for Healthcare—had raised $10.1 million.
- The support campaign argued that the coronavirus pandemic has shown the need for Medicaid expansion. Jack Cardetti, a spokesperson for the Yes on 2 campaign, said, "Now more than ever, Missourians need to be able to access care in their own communities and protect thousands of local frontline healthcare jobs. ... Amendment 2 will help keep rural hospitals and urban clinics open by bringing $1 billion of our own tax dollars back from Washington, instead of going to the 37 other states that have expanded Medicaid.
- No on 2 in August led the campaign in opposition to Amendment 2. Opponents argued that expanding Medicaid would not be economically prudent. State Senator Bob Onder (R-2) said, "The money needed to expand Medicaid is going to come from somewhere. It either has to come from education, from roads or from massive tax increases. ... I do think that Missourians, particularly in these challenging economic times, will realize that a massive expansion of the Medicaid program isn’t something that we can afford."
- Missouri was the sixth state to expand Medicaid through a ballot initiative. In 2017, voters in Maine approved a ballot measure to expand Medicaid. The measure was the first citizen initiative to implement an optional provision of Obamacare. In November 2018, voters in Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and Utah decided ballot initiatives concerning Medicaid expansion and the funding of expanded Medicaid coverage. They were approved in Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah.
- Oklahoma was the most recent state to approve Medicaid expansion in June. Oklahoma State Question 802 passed with 50.5% of the vote.
Thursday, August 6
Connecticut, New Jersey, New York expand states under quarantine requirement; Massachusetts issues travel restrictions
- Governors Ned Lamont (D-Conn.), Phil Murphy (D-N.J.), and Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) announced the addition of Rhode Island to the joint travel advisory, requiring visitors from that state to quarantine for 14 days upon entering the tristate area. The governors removed Delaware and Washington D.C. from the list, which now includes 34 states plus the territory of Puerto Rico.
- On Aug. 5, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) rescinded the executive order requiring travelers from Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
- On August 1, Massachusetts enacted enforceable travel restrictions requiring all non-exempt travelers to the state to fill out a travel form and either self-quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test administered no later than 72 hours prior to arrival. Travelers from states classified as lower-risk, which included Connecticut, Vermont, and Hawaii, among others, were exempt from the requirements.
- The restrictions were coupled with a fine of up to $500 per day for failure to comply.
- Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) previously asked most travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days. The advisory had not included an enforcement mechanism.
- Michigan state Sen. Tom Barrett (R), who represents District 24, announced on Aug. 2 he had tested positive for coronavirus. He assumed office in 2019.
- Pennsylvania state Rep. John Galloway (D), who has represented District 140 since 2007, announced on Aug. 3 that he would be self-quarantining after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.
Tennessee voters decide state, local primaries
- The statewide primary for Tennessee was held on August 6. Candidates competed to advance to the general election scheduled for November 3, 2020.
- Candidates ran in elections for the following offices:
- State Senate: The chamber has five Democrats and 28 Republicans. Sixteen of 33 seats are up for election. Fifteen incumbents filed for re-election and all of them advanced, according to unofficial results.
- State House: The chamber has 26 Democrats and 73 Republicans. All 99 seats are up for election.
- Ninety-three incumbents filed for re-election. Three incumbents—James Van Huss (R-6), Matthew Hill (R-7), and Thomas R. Tillis (R-92)—lost their bids for re-election, according to unofficial results. The District 15 race remains too close to call.
- One seat on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, currently held by incumbent Carma Dennis McGee, was up for retention election. According to unofficial results, McGee won her retention election. She will serve the remainder of an eight-year term, which is set to expire in 2024.
- Ballotpedia also covered general local municipal and school board elections in the following areas:
- Shelby County
- Nashville
- Clarksville-Montgomery County School System
- Hamilton County School District
- Knox County School District
- Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
- Rutherford County Schools
- Shelby County Schools
- Williamson County Schools
- Tennessee has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. The next statewide primary is on August 8 in Hawaii.
Friday, August 7
Six states issue mask mandates for K-12 public schools
- Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, and South Carolina announced this week that most students and staff will have to wear masks while on campus at K-12 public schools. Some exceptions in those states exist for students with specific medical conditions or under certain ages (usually 5 years old or younger).
- So far, seven states—Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, and Wyoming—have reopened their campuses for students and staff. Sixteen states have released reopening guidance and also announced a scheduled reopening and one state has announced schools will reopen in the fall but has not released reopening guidance. Officials in 21 other states have released guidance for reopening schools to in-person instruction, but have not indicated when or whether they plan to do so.
- In March and April, 48 states—all except Montana and Wyoming— closed schools to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. Those states accounted for 99.4% of the nation's 50.6 million public school students. Montana and Wyoming did not require in-person instruction for the year. Montana schools were allowed to reopen on May 7 and Wyoming schools were allowed to reopen on May 15.
Special Elections
- Fifty-two state legislative special elections have been scheduled in 25 states so far this year, with 35 seats having taken place already. Heading into those races, Democrats had previously controlled 14 of the seats, while Republicans previously controlled 21. One seat flipped from Democratic control to Republican control, and five seats flipped from Republican control to Democratic control.
- In special elections between 2011 and 2019, one party (either Republicans or Democrats) saw an average net gain of four seats nationally each year.
- An average of 56 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past five even years (2010: 30, 2012: 46, 2014: 40, 2016: 66, 2018: 99).
- An average of 88 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past five odd years (2011: 95, 2013: 84, 2015: 88, 2017: 98, 2019: 77).
- Upcoming special elections include:
Local Politics: The Week in Review
- In 2020, Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage of elections in America's 100 largest cities by population. This encompasses every office on the ballot in these cities, including their municipal elections, trial court elections, school board elections, and local ballot measures. Ballotpedia is also covering all local recall elections as well as all local ballot measures in California.
- 2020
- July 11 - Louisiana — Voters in East Baton Rouge Parish approved a special property tax renewal to fund the law enforcement district on July 11, 2020.
- July 14 - Texas — Voters in Fort Worth approved a measure to continue the Fort Worth Crime Control and Prevention District and renew its special 0.5% sales tax for 10 years.
- August 4 - Arizona — Voters in Gilbert, Arizona, approved Proposition 430, a measure that would ratify the town's 2020 General Plan, on August 4, 2020.
- August 4 - Michigan — Voters in Wayne County approved two propositions to renew property tax levies. Voters in the Detroit Public Schools Community District approved a proposition to renew a non-homestead property tax levy.
- August 4 - Missouri — Voters in Platte County approved two sales tax measures, and voters in Hickman Mills C-1 School District approved a bond issue.
- August 18 - Florida — Voters in Miami will decide an advisory question about whether there should be a COVID-19 screening program at the Miami International Airport.
- 2020
Tuesday, August 4
Incumbent wins Democratic primary for St. Louis circuit attorney
- Democratic Voters in St. Louis cast ballots in the primary for city circuit attorney on Aug. 4. Incumbent Kimberly Gardner defeated primary challenger Mary Pat Carl, receiving 61% of the vote to Carl’s 39%. Gardner also defeated Carl in the position’s four-candidate 2016 primary, where Gardner received 47% of the vote and Carl was second with 24%.
- This year, Gardner received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Real Justice PAC. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and ten local Democratic Party wards endorsed Carl.
- Ahead of the primary, The Appeal’s Rachel M. Cohen wrote, “[L]ocal activists view this race as a referendum on the fierce pushback that Gardner has faced since she took office. The primary … may be any early window into whether this sort of pushback will prove successful in other jurisdictions where reform-minded prosecutors soon face re-election.”
WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK
State Politics: What's On Tap Next Week
Saturday, August 8
Hawaii voters to decide state executive, legislative primaries
- The statewide primary election for Hawaii is on August 8. Candidates are running in elections for the following state offices:
- Office of Hawaiian Affairs (four seats)
- State Senate (13 seats)
- State House (51 seats)
- Ballotpedia will also be covering local elections in the city of Honolulu. Honolulu is a consolidated city-county and is the 11th largest city by population in the United States.
- Hawaii has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.
- After Hawaii, the next statewide primaries will be held on August 11 in the following states:
- Connecticut
- Minnesota
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
Tuesday, August 11
Gubernatorial candidates to face off in Vermont primaries
- Voters in Vermont will cast ballots in statewide and state legislative primaries on Aug. 11. Ballotpedia identified the Democratic primaries for governor and lieutenant governor as battleground primaries. Here’s a closer look at those two races:
- Democratic primary for governor
- Four candidates—Ralph Corbo, Rebecca Holcombe, Patrick Winburn, and David Zuckerman—are running in the Democratic primary for governor. The winner will face incumbent Gov. Phil Scott (R) in the general election.
- Holcombe and Zuckerman lead in fundraising, reporting $546,000 and $349,000, respectively. Holcombe previously served as Vermont’s secretary of education from 2014 to 2018. Zuckerman is Vermont’s current lieutenant governor. He was elected in 2016 with 58% of the vote after winning both the Democratic and Vermont Progressive Party nominations.
- Vermont Public Radio wrote, “When it comes to policy at least, there isn’t much distance between the four Democrats seeking their party’s nomination,” adding that both Holcombe and Zuckerman “favor universal health care, a $15 minimum wage and a paid family and medical leave program for all Vermont workers.”
- Holcombe received endorsements from EMILY’s List, Democratic National Committeeman Tim Jerman, and former Gov. Madeleine Kunin (D). Zuckerman received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Our Revolution, and the Vermont AFL-CIO.
- Vermont is one of fourteen states with a divided state government. Republicans control the governorship while Democrats control both chambers of the state legislature. Vermont is also one of four states led by a Republican governor that voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton received 57% of the vote there in 2016 compared to Donald Trump’s (R) 30%.
- Democratic primary for lieutenant governor:
- With incumbent Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman running in the gubernatorial primary, the position is open in 2020. Four candidates—Timothy Ashe, Molly Gray, Debbie Ingram, and Brenda Siegel—are running in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.
- Ashe, Gray, and Siegel lead in noteworthy primary endorsements. VTDigger’s Xander Landen wrote, “Ashe and … Siegel have been splitting the endorsements on the progressive left,” while “Gray … has touted the support she has received from Vermont’s Democratic establishment.”
- Ashe received endorsements from the Sierra Club and sixteen state legislators. Siegel was endorsed by Progressives for Democracy in America and the Champlain Valley branch of the Democratic Socialists of America. Gray lists former Govs. Peter Shumlin (D) and Madeleine Kunin (D) along with former Lt. Gov. Doug Racine (D) as endorsers.
- Ashe is Vermont’s Senate President, first elected to the Senate in 2009. Siegel works as a choreographer and owns a dance business. Gray is an assistant attorney general.
- VPR News’ Peter Hirschfeld, commenting about the office of lieutenant governor, writes, “Aside from presiding over the state senate … [the] job doesn’t carry much in the way of constitutional powers. But the statewide post has been an important stepping stone for many ambitious politicians.” Three of Vermont’s six governors since 1980 served as lieutenant governor before ascending to the top state executive office.
- Democratic primary for governor
Voters to decide state executive and legislative primaries in four states
- Statewide primary elections in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin are on August 11, 2020. A total of 689 seats across the four states are up for election, including six state executive seats and 683 state legislative seats. Candidates are running in elections for the following offices:
- Connecticut
- State Senate (all 36 seats)
- State House (all 151 seats)
- Minnesota
- State Senate (all 67 seats)
- State House (all 134 seats)
- Vermont
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Auditor
- Attorney General
- Treasurer
- State Senate (all 30 seats)
- State House (all 150 seats)
- Wisconsin
- State Senate (16 out of 33 seats)
- State Assembly (all 99 seats)
- Connecticut
- The next statewide primary will be held on August 18 in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming.
States in session
Eight states—California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—are in regular session.
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The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.
