Medicaid Expansion Passes by Small Margin

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(Oklahoma City, OK) Oklahomans narrowly decided to expand Medicaid for low-income residents on Tuesday by a mere 6,488 votes. State Question 802 enshrines Medicaid expansion in to the Oklahoma constitution.

Yes on 802 campaign manager Amber England stated, “In the middle of a pandemic, Oklahomans stepped up and delivered life-saving care for nearly 200,000 of our neighbors, took action to keep our rural hospitals open, and brought our tax dollars home to protect jobs and boost our local economy.”

The campaign for SQ 802 was launched after years of legislative inaction on Medicaid expansion. The Yes on 802 campaign turned in a record number of signatures to qualify the question for the ballot.

But the majority of Oklahoma’s counties opposed the expansion. A mere seven of the state’s 77 counties, including Oklahoma and Tulsa, approved the question.

John Tidwell, State Director of Americans for Prosperity and Chairman of the Vote No on 802 Association, said the lack of widespread support for the question is telling.