Tagged: Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court is receiving briefs from all over the country as it prepares to take up same sex marriage next month, including Utah.  The Court will hear arguments in two cases concerning the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8.  The Utah Pride Center plans to file an amicus brief to the nation’s highest court this week, arguing that laws that ban same sex marriage amount to discrimination.  But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Utah’s Attorney General have filed their own briefs in defense of traditional marriage and states’ rights to decide. 

Utah Congressman Rob Bishop is pushing for legislation that would reform the current Medicaid program.  The State Health Flexibility Act would introduce a federal block grant program designed to be administered by the states. 

The recent Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act determined that states can maintain current levels of Medicaid funding, even if they do not expand the population that is eligible for coverage.  Congressman Rob Bishop sees an opportunity.

Since the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, governors in four states have declared they will not expand Medicaid. Utah is currently undecided. State lawmakers met Tuesday to review the Supreme Court’s decision - and Utah’s options.

Republican Representative James Dunnigan of Taylorsville is chair of the state’s Health System Reform Task Force. He says the expansion of Medicaid is a big policy decision for Utah, and lawmakers are still gathering information. 

Supporters of the Affordable Care Act collected at the Capitol today to talk about what the Supreme Court ruling means for Utah. Judi Hillman, Executive Director for the Utah Health Policy Project, says that changes included in the ACA can now move forward in Utah – including insurance for those with pre-existing conditions.

Republican leaders in Utah were uniformly critical of Thursday's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, saying it threatens the nation's economic recovery and could sharpen the partisan divide.  

In his monthly news conference on KUED, Utah Governor Gary Herbert said, "This has divided the country terribly and taken our eye off the ball on economic recovery.  I do believe, if you want to repeal Obamacare, you need to repeal Obama."

The U.S. Supreme Court rules on the Affordable Care Act, multiple wildfires continue to burn throughout the state, and Dan Nailen previews one of the biggest concerts of the summer. That and more in today's News Pod.

Utah lawmakers signed a compact this year that allows the state to opt out of federal health care reform and find its own solution to health care funding problems.  But Utah’s participation in the interstate compact may hinge on the US Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on the Affordable Care Act.