This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Boise • Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has vetoed a proposal that would have allocated $5.4 million for community health clinics to use to study the estimated 78,000 Idahoans who don't qualify for medical coverage.
In his veto letter, the Republican governor said the funding proposal was inappropriate because it would not have properly addressed the so-called Medicaid gap population.
The proposal was originally tied to a separate piece of legislation that would have used the data collection for a legislative interim committee to review. However, that bill failed to survive the House after undergoing significant amendments in the Senate.
Otter said Tuesday that he hopes the 2017 Legislature can find a solution to addressing the Medicaid gap population.