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: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. 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. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...

. 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 The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is a conservative, state-based think tank in Oklahoma, US. Founding, mission, and leadership Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) was founded in 1993 as a public policy research organization focu ...

, a conservative

think tank A think tank, or 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-governmenta ...

, 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 The Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) is the state affiliate of the American Hospital Association. It was established on May 21, 1919, after meeting of representatives from 20 Oklahoma hospitals, electing Dr. Fred S. Clinton as the first preside ...

, 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 Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

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-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

and

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

. 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 the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. Tulsa World Media Company is part of Lee Enterprises. The new owners announced in January 202 ...

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

References

External links

* {{Ballotpedia, Oklahoma_State_Question_802,_Medicaid_Expansion_Initiative_(June_2020), State Question 802
YES on 802
a website supporting the initiative question 802 Oklahoma State Question 802 Oklahoma ballot measures Affordable Care Act