On July 16, Governor Walker announced he would expand Medicaid unilaterally – without the approval of the Legislature.

According to the Alaska Legislative Council, many lawmakers, while open to expanding Medicaid with reforms, believe it’s important that any action comply with the legal process established in the state constitution.

“The framers of Alaska’s Constitution wisely gave the Legislature sole authority to appropriate state funds because they believed a healthy separation of powers was vital for our democracy,” said Senate President Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage). “If we don’t stand up for our constitutional duties as a co-equal branch of government, then we set a dangerous precedent where governors believe they can spend money and change the law without legislative approval.”

“This is a major policy decision for Alaska, with serious fiscal consequences,” said House Majority Leader Charisse Millett (R-Anchorage). “It’s very important that the decision is made in a manner consistent with Alaska’s Constitution. This action is not about Medicaid expansion – it’s about preserving the integrity of Alaska’s Constitution.”

Quoting a news release from the Alaska House Majority (Republicans) and Senate Majority (Republicans), in NFIB v Sibelius, the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear that Medicaid Expansion is “optional” and not mandatory. State law makes it equally clear that any new groups must be approved by the Alaska Legislature.

“The U.S. Supreme Court has the final say on Medicaid expansion,” said Senate Majority Leader John Coghill (R-North Pole). “The Court declared that the additional group of able-bodied, childless adults is an optional group and that the states have a genuine choice as to whether to expand Medicaid to include that population. That being the case, state statute requires legislative approval for any new additional groups. The Governor may not expand unilaterally.”

The Alaska House and Senate Majorities say state and national legal experts agree that the governor’s unilateral action disregards both state law and the Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling in NFIB v. Sebelius. - More...
Wednesday PM - August 19, 2015

Alaska: Spike in emergency medical responses to “spice” overdoses and illnesses prompts warning to Alaskans - A spike in the number of emergency medical responses in Anchorage suspected to have come from the consumption of synthetic marijuana or “spice” has prompted the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services to reissue a warning to Alaskans against smoking or consuming synthetic marijuana products or “sticks.” These products are often sold as incense in attractive packages and go by other names like zero gravity, King Kong, Godzilla, K2, great ape, and gorilla. Spice is also sold repackaged in Ziploc bags or as individual cigarettes.

“Spice is a generic name for a form of unregulated synthetic marijuana that consists of herbal mixtures sprayed with chemicals made in a laboratory that are intended to produce mind-altering effects similar to cannabis,” said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, chief of the Alaska Section of Epidemiology. “After using spice, however, people sometimes develop moderate to severe adverse health consequences, including vomiting, muscle spasms, seizures, hallucinations, confusion, and suicidal thoughts. In some cases, spice has been linked to heart attacks and deaths."

An autopsy done after a recent death on an Anchorage homeless person showed a positive test result for spice, and spice was attributed as one of the causes of death.

Spice products can be sold in colorful packages online or in stores, or local dealers can alter and repackage these products with other chemicals. Often, they can resemble potpourri and are sold with warning labels that say “Not for human consumption,” even though they are made purely for that use.

“At this point, the bulk of the medical transports have involved young adults; however, there have been many transports involving adolescents,” McLaughlin said. “Parents should warn their children about the dangers of using spice, and strongly instruct them to stay away from it.” - More...
Wednesday PM - August 19, 2015

Columns - Commentary

SUSAN STAMPER BROWN:Obama Opposes Legislation to Fix the VA - We are created with an innate sense of right and wrong and a desire for justice, so when we hear about maddening scandals like the one at the Veterans Administration last year, we expect those in charge to quickly take action to right wrongs. If only it were that easy.

A little background: Public awareness of the VA scandal erupted after evidence surfaced that a large number of veterans died while waiting for appointments at a medical care facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Investigations also found the problem was nationwide, with approximately 120,000 veterans waiting for care. VA employees created "secret" waiting lists and fudged scheduling to give the appearance veterans were receiving appropriate care in a timely manner. According to the Arizona Republic, the VA acknowledged the Phoenix facility "manipulated patient wait-time records to trigger bonuses." All the while, taxpayer-funded bonuses and above-average performance ratings were divvied out for VA execs about as frivolously as the Obama administration dispenses Obamaphones. So, after all the corruption, we should believe that government-run healthcare is better than the free market? - More...
Wednesday PM - August 19, 2015