RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The resignation of a Democratic
state senator on Monday has dealt a serious blow to his party’s push for
Medicaid expansion in Virginia and cleared a path for Republicans to
pass a budget without compromising on the health care plan.
Sen.
Phil Puckett’s resignation gives the GOP a 20-19 majority in the chamber
to go with their control of the House. Senate Democrats had linked
passage of the state’s $96 billion biennial budget to expanding
Medicaid, creating the threat of a government shutdown on July 1 if
Republicans wouldn’t relent.
Puckett said he was resigning so that
his daughter, Martha Ketron, could be approved as a state judge.
Republicans in the Senate had blocked Ketron’s appointment to serve as a
juvenile and domestic relations judge in southwest Virginia earlier
this year because of a policy of not appointing immediate family members
to judgeships. Ketron had been temporarily appointed by circuit court
judges and is now working as a substitute judge.
"At this point in
my life, I feel that I cannot allow my political career to hamper my
daughter’s future and her desire to serve the families and children of
our area," Puckett said in a statement. He added that his "family is
dealing with several difficult issues that need our attention."
Puckett
defended his decision to resign after some members of his party accused
him of making a deal with Republicans in exchange for a high level job
with the GOP-controlled state tobacco commission, noting that he’d never
been "officially offered" a job at the tobacco commission.
Republican
Del. Terry Kilgore said Sunday he had discussed a deputy director job
opening with Puckett at the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and
Community Revitalization but no deal had been finalized. Kilgore, who is
chairman of the commission, said in a statement Monday that Puckett was
no longer interested in the job.
The timing of Puckett’s
departure has dealt a serious blow to Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s
top legislative priority in his inaugural year: expanding Medicaid
eligibility to as many 400,000 low-income residents. The Medicaid battle
has drawn national attention, as Democrats attempt to make an inroad
for the Affordable Care Act in the South.
Puckett will be replaced by a special election, the date of which has not been set.
The
Obama administration has offered to pay most of the costs of expanding
Medicaid in states that choose to do so, but Republicans have argued
that states would be saddled with the cost if the federal government
can’t keep its promise.
With Democrats controlling the Senate
through the lieutenant governor’s tie-breaking vote and Republicans
running the state House, the state appeared headed toward a government
shutdown on July 1, the start of the next fiscal year.
On Monday,
all 20 Republican senators along with Senate Finance Co-Chairman Sen.
Chuck Colgan, a Democrat, signed a letter ordering the full Senate to
return Thursday to work out a budget. After that letter was filed, House
Speaker William J. Howell scheduled for the House to return the same
day.
After members of the Senate Finance Committee met Monday,
committee Co-Chairman Walter Stosch said he believed there were enough
votes for the Senate to pass a budget that does not include Marketplace
Virginia, the Senate’s modified version of Medicaid expansion.
"We’re
hoping we can pass a clean budget that does not have Marketplace
Virginia in it, not that we’ve lost interest in that," said Stosch, who
is one of three Republican senators who support the expanded coverage
plan.
Stosch and other senators who support Marketplace Virginia
said a recent forecast projecting a $1.3 billion budget deficit over the
next two years has forced lawmakers to make passing a budget their top
priority.
Colgan said he would like to pass a state budget without
expanding Medicaid eligibility and revisit the issue in a special
session. Colgan said he "would love" some assurances that Medicaid
expansion would pass during a special session, which would be unlikely
given the strong Republican majority in the House.
House
Republicans have promised a fair hearing on Medicaid expansion if there
were a special session, but the lower chamber has already voted against
Medicaid expansion proposals twice this year.
A spokesman for McAuliffe declined to comment until the governor’s office had seen what the Senate’ plans
were.
The
liberal group ProgressVA, which supports Medicaid expansion, called on
authorities to investigate whether Puckett has engaged in an illegal
quid pro quo. And House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mark Sickles compared
Puckett’s behavior to former Gov. Bob McDonnell, who is awaiting trial
on corruption charges.
As for Puckett’s daughter, Senate
Republican Leader Thomas Norment said he did not know when, or if, the
Senate would approve Ketron to the bench.
Norment added that he did not see anything unethical in Puckett’s behavior.
"It is unkind for people to suggest that," he said.