Dismang: Medicaid Will Move In A More Conservative Direction

State Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, survived a leadership challenge this past week, but he’s moved on and is ready to roll up his sleeves in the 90th General Assembly.

Appearing on this week’s TV edition of Talk Business & Politics, Dismang – who will serve as Senate President Pro Tempore for the rest of the 89th General Assembly as well as the 90th that starts in January – said with GOP control of the executive and legislative branches, he expects more coordination.

“I think you’ll see more cooperation or coordination between the executive branch and the legislative branch,” Dismang said, in reference to newly-elected Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Dismang sees tax cuts, tort reform, education, and tweaks to the lottery on the legislative agenda. A $100 million middle-class tax cut, a centerpiece of Hutchinson’s campaign promises, will certainly be front-and-center, Dismang asserted.

“It’s going to require some changes in the way we do things right now. Obviously, some of the biggest places we could influence would be in the Medicaid program. I think we’ve got some places we could use scalpels and some places that we need to do some overhauls,” the Senate leader said.

Although Republicans have large majorities in both chambers – 23 of 35 State Senators and 64 of 100 House members – Dismang said he still sees a lot of work with Democrats on budget issues, which require 75% thresholds for passage.

“One thing you have to keep in mind is we are not budget-proof majorities on the Republican side, so that does require us to compromise. That will occur. Even beyond that, particularly in the Senate, there’s a lot of camaraderie that occurs between all of the members regardless of party,” Dismang said. “By the time we gavel out, we’ll have a lot of very close friends and in a way, we’ll almost be a family.”

On the Private Option, Arkansas’ use of Medicaid expansion dollars through a private health insurance exchange, Dismang, one of the key architects of the plan, said there will be significant conversations with new members who campaigned to defeat the program.

“I think we’re just at a point where we have so many new members and this is a pretty complex subject. I know that the up-or-down, yes-or-no [vote] is typically what’s out in the conversation, but really it is complex. It will impact a lot of different things. Right now, I think it is too early to really say what direction those members – those new members – would like to take,” said Dismang.

He emphasized that the debate will be centered on facts and empirical data. In the end, whether it passes or not, he anticipates major changes to Arkansas’ Medicaid program.

“I think what it’s going to require, and something I would be supportive of, is additional changes, making sure it is as conservative of a model as we can. What we want to have is the best Medicaid program in the country and that’s what we’re going to strive for, that’s what we’ll push for, and really at this point I think it’s too early to say what that looks like,” he said.

Watch his full interview in the video below.