Oklahoma Question 802, the Oklahoma Medicaid Expansion Initiative, was a 2020 ballot measure on the June 30 ballot (alongside primaries for various statewide offices) to expand Medicaid in the state of

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. It passed narrowly, over the objections of many prominent state elected officials, such as Oklahoma's governor

Kevin Stitt John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2018, defeating Democrat and former state Attorney Ge ...

. Medicaid expansion went into effect on July 1, 2021.

The proposal was listed on ballots as follows: The wording was challenged by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a conservative

think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

, which claimed that it was unconstitutional and misrepresenting what the measure actually does. The

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

rejected their challenge.

Support

The Oklahoma Hospital Association, Oklahoma State Medical Association, Oklahoma Osteopathic Association, Oklahoma Nurses Association, and Saint Francis Health System filed a joint brief endorsing the proposal, writing "the initiative petition will allow the citizens of Oklahoma to demand that the state accept the federal dollars that 36 other states and the District of Columbia have already accepted in order to bring Medicaid coverage to many of their fellow Oklahomans who remain uninsured."

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Democrats supported the proposal and released a statement after its passage thanking voters.

Opposition

Many prominent Republican politicians in Oklahoma, such as the governor Kevin Stitt, and the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson, opposed the proposal, citing its potential costs and claiming that cuts to other areas such as education might be necessary.

Results

The ballot measure passed narrowly, with 50.49% voting in favor to 49.51% voting against. Much of the proposal's support came from

Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...

and

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

. 90% of counties in Oklahoma voted against the proposal.

Effects

Medicaid expansion was scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2021. On August 2, 2021, the

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...

reported that over 150,000 additional Oklahomans received SoonerCare due to the effects of the Medicaid expansion.

References

External links

* * {{usurped,
YES on 802 (archived)
}, a website supporting the initiative question 802 Oklahoma State Question 802 Oklahoma ballot measures Affordable Care Act Healthcare ballot measures in the United States