Many Idaho counties showed strong support of Medicaid expansion

Idaho voters issued a strong rebuke to Republican lawmakers Tuesday, approving the Proposition 2 Medicaid expansion initiative by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

The move reflects growing frustration with the Legislature’s inability or unwillingness to address the health care needs of the estimated 62,000 working adults in the Medicaid gap population.

The statewide initiative extends Medicaid eligibility to anyone earning less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Based on the vote — with 364,861 in favor, compared to 237,276 against — it was one of the most popular items on the ballot this year. It passed 61 percent to 39 percent, which was slightly better than Brad Little’s margin over Paulette Jordan in his successful bid to win the governor’s race.

“I think it was the single-biggest driver of voter turnout,” said House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise. “It won by a large margin, meaning a lot of Republicans crossed over to support it. I think it was a primary motivator for people to go to the polls.”

The measure passed in 35 of Idaho’s 44 counties, including most counties in the north central part of the state. Local results include:

Clearwater County: Approved Prop 2 by a margin of 1,686 votes to 1,480, or 53 percent to 47 percent.

Idaho County: Was one of nine counties in the state to reject the measure; opposed it by a margin of 58 percent to 42 percent, with 4,106 votes in opposition compared to 2,938 in favor.

Latah County: Supported the proposition by 71 percent to 29 percent, with 11,269 votes in favor and 4,661 in opposition.

Lewis County: Supported the initiative by a margin of 728 to 654 votes, or 53 percent to 47 percent.

Nez Perce County: Approved the measure 63 percent to 37 percent, with 9,138 votes in favor and 5,315 against.

Idaho wasn’t the only Republican-dominated state where voters bypassed reluctant lawmakers to enact Medicaid expansion. Similar measures also passed in Nebraska and Utah, where voters approved a sales tax increase to cover the state’s share of the costs.

The battle now moves to the Idaho Legislature, where nearly a third of the House and Senate incumbents publicly opposed Prop 2.

“The Legislature has a history of doing what it wants,” Erpelding noted. “I hope that’s not the case this year. I’m looking for us to implement (Prop 2) in a way that really takes care of the 62,000 Idahoans in the gap.”

Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.