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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Petition Circulated for Medicaid Expansion

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Monday, May 13, 2013   

HELENA, Mont. - Several groups in Montana are circulating an online petition, asking the Legislature to come back and take another vote on Medicaid expansion. The expansion died at the end of the session this year, and since lawmakers went home, several more states have accepted the deal, with Kentucky being the latest, last week.

According to Olivia Riutta, executive director at Montana Women Vote, nearly 500 have signed the petition, and she expects hundreds more will do the same.

"When we talk to women and families in Montana about the issues that they care about the most, access to health care is at the top of the list," she declared.

Medicaid expansion would extend health coverage to about 70,000 more Montanans, and would be paid for by the federal government during the first few years. Then, Montana would have to pay for part of the coverage.

Riutta said the percentage would be small, but there were legislative objections to it, and to expansion in general, because of resistance to the Affordable Care Act.

There's been no official talk about bringing lawmakers back to Helena. Even so, Riutta suspects there's a chance.

"I think that the special session is still on the table and so, we really want to make sure that the legislature knows that access to health care is something that we see having a huge impact on people's everyday lives," she said.

Montana Women Vote, the Montana Human Rights Network, and Planned Parenthood of Montana are among the groups asking for petition signatures.

The petition is at bit.ly/YDtQdU.




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