Judge rejects LePage bid to stall Medicaid expansion

A judge has denied Gov. Paul LePage’s administration’s request to stay an order forcing it to implement voter-approved Medicaid expansion, but pushed the deadline to do so back to after the Republican leaves office.

The Thursday ruling effectively hands the long-running political and legal fight over implementing a policy that voters approved in 2017 to Gov.-elect Janet Mills, a Democrat who has said fully implementing the expansion plan is a top priority.

Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy’s nine-page decision to move the implementation deadline back from Dec. 5 to Feb. 1 means that LePage could leave office without putting into effect a policy he has long and bitterly opposed.

Spokespersons for LePage and Mills did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Read more: https://bangordailynews.com/2018/12/06/politics/judge-rejects-lepage-bid-to-stall-medicaid-expansion/