It was Nixon who went to China. And now the forces for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina have their own unlikely champion.
Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson, a conservative firebrand best known for his controversial views on immigration, has lent his support to a bill, sponsored by Rep. Donny Lambeth, a Forsyth County Republican, which pairs Medicaid expansion with a work requirement and premium payments.
“In law enforcement, we’re dealing with people in our detention centers and in our communities who need that coverage.” Johnson said in endorsement of House Bill 655. “We could be helping some of these people get back in society and make their own way.”
Johnson appeared at an April news conference with businessman and former GOP gubernatorial candidate George Little; former N.C. Rep. Chris Malone, R-Wake; Rep. Holly Grange, R-New Hanover; and the Rev. Gilbert Parker, president of the N.C. Faith Fellowship Foundation.
“Hard-working families in North Carolina are being left behind by a broken health care system,” said Grange, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “These families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private health insurance.”
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