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Governor Herbert Shifts Blame on Expansion Stalemate to ACA

KUER
Gary R. Herbert, Governor of Utah, at his monthly KUED News Conference

Governor Gary Herbert shifted much of the blame for Utah’s Medicaid expansion stalemate on inherent flaws in the Affordable Care Act. At his monthly news conference on KUED Thursday, Herbert said his original Healthy Utah plan is still the best he’s seen. And while he wishes the state could get federal money for the program in the form of block grants, he said concern that there’s a growing reliance on the federal government is a myth.

“The historic average over the last twenty years has been between 25 and 26%. We’re not any more beholden to the federal government to get our money back here to Utah today than we were twenty years ago,” said Herbert.

Also at the news conference, Herbert reaffirmed his commitment to the death penalty in light of four states recently suspending executions.

“I’ve been a supporter of capital punishment with these parameters. One, it should be extremely rare, and be done and incorporated for the most heinous crimes." The Governor said, "That’s how Utah’s done it. We have eight people, I think, on death row today. It’s not a common occurrence.”

Herbert also said the process should be streamlined. He said justice delayed is justice denied.

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
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