Is Indiana’s Governor Making An ‘About-Face’ On New Law?

Indiana Governor Mike Pence said today that he “mishandled” the passage of a religious freedom law and he now wants a piece of legislation to “clarify” that it does not give anyone the right to discriminate in the state.

“This law does not give anyone a license to deny services to gay and lesbian couples. I could have handled that better this week,” he said, according to ABC News.

The move comes just as the House of Representatives in Arkansas passed amendments to a similar religious freedom bill that is expected to be signed into law when the governor signs the complete version, something that has already announced that he plans to do.

Pence said that he has been working with state legislators and businesses “literally around the clock” to work through the controversy, saying that “discrimination was never part of his plan.”

“I don’t believe for a minute that it was the intention of the general assembly. … It certainly wasn’t my intent but I can appreciate that that’s become the perception … and we need to confront that and we need to confront that boldly,” he said.

The changes that Pence mentioned are expected to be put into a “stripped version” of an election-related bill that is supposed to be debated Wednesday or Thursday by a conference committee. That is what Indiana’s Republican speaker of the House’s spokesman Brian Bosma told ABC News.

Bill de Blasio Says Indiana Anti-Gay Law Is ‘Doomed to Failure’

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio discussed a controversial Indiana religious freedom law recently, telling reporters that it is “deeply disturbing” and “doomed to failure,” according to observer.com.

Following the lead of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mr. de Blasio also said he would ban non-essential city travel to Indiana.

“It’s a deeply disturbing reality right now in Indiana and I hope before it’s too late, they turn back,” said Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, at an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn.

He said that the law, which critics say will allow businesses to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, will backfire on the Republican-led state.

“Absolutely, I will instruct all New York City agencies to prohibit any non-essential travel to the State of Indiana,” he continued.

“This proposal [in] Indiana really undercuts decades and decades of progress on human rights and civil rights in this country. The notion that a government would allow a version of discrimination undercuts so much of what we fought for.”

“I also know it’s doomed to failure,” he added.

More here:

http://observer.com/2015/03/bill-de-blasio-says-indiana-religious-law-doomed-to-failure/#ixzz3W1NVsY65

http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-yorks-cuomo-bans-state-funded-travel-to-indiana-1427849308

USA Today Sports Writer Says NCAA Should Pull Out Of Indiana

Nancy Armour was a sports writer for Associated Press prior to becoming a sports columnist for USA Today.

In a recent article, Armour states:

“The NCAA should be applauded for swiftly and strongly expressing its disapproval of Indiana’s new law that cloaks discrimination in ‘religious freedom.’

“But it can’t stop there.

“It is too late to pull this year’s Final Four from Indianapolis, given it is next weekend and there’s no other city that would have an arena and several thousand hotel rooms available. But the NCAA can – and should – tell Indiana lawmakers that their prejudice and mean-spiritedness has cost the state the privilege of hosting any other collegiate sporting event.”

Indiana Governor Mike Pence To Expand Medicaid Under Obamacare

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Tuesday became the latest Republican governor to accept an expansion of Medicaid to cover more poor residents under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

Like expansions in other Republican-led states, Pence’s plan doesn’t just expand Medicaid, but it uses the federal funding to change the program.

Enrollment starts immediately, and coverage begins February 1st.  The expansion eventually will reach 350,000 people, Pence said when announcing federal approval for the proposal at a news conference in Indianapolis.  Pence’s program builds on the state’s 7-year-old Healthy Indiana Plan, which currently covers 60,000 people.

GOP governors and legislators in states like Arkansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania have exacted changes to Medicaid for the expansion, including increasing the role of private health insurance plans in Medicaid.

President Barack Obama’s administration is eager to provide Medicaid coverage to as many poor Americans as possible.

28 states (and D.C.) have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (including Indiana).

Pence’s plan is the biggest departure from traditional, government-run Medicaid yet. The so-called Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0, as Pence dubbed it, ties benefits to monthly payments by beneficiaries below the poverty line, a first for Medicaid, and includes other features Pence billed as conservative and market-based.

The Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0, or HIP 2.0, is based more on private insurance than traditional Medicaid.

Pence’s program builds on the state’s 7-year-old Healthy Indiana Plan, which currently covers people with high-deductible health insurance and health savings accounts.  Adults without disabilities who are currently enrolled in traditional Medicaid will be moved to the new Medicaid plan.