Democrats to Kemp: 'Medicaid expansion is the only answer'

Gov. Brian Kemp’s first State of the State address Thursday outlined his plan to boost teacher pay by $3,000 this year and push for a Medicaid waiver that could give the state more flexibility to use federal healthcare dollars.

State Democrats welcomed his bipartisan tone but were critical of a waiver program they derided as a half-measure. And they demanded full expansion of the Medicaid program, which Kemp and other Republican leaders have cast as too costly.

In the party’s response, state Sen. Harold Jones II of Augusta also called for a community-based schooling system and proposed a program that will allow student loan borrowers more leeway to repay their loans over a 10-year period.

Here’s his response, which will also air Thursday at 7p.m. on GPB:

“Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak to you this evening. This week should be a week of pride for all our citizens. As we watch the seamless transfer of governance from one Administration to the next, we see the grand American experiment being validated.

Read more: https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/democrats-kemp-medicaid-expansion-the-only-answer/v9zKuzLdyu6x3wGy3prxkO/