The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • A2

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DAY AY The coronavirus pandemic has hit many businesses hard, including media companies. The parent company of The Oklahoman has insti- tuted one-week unpaid furloughs for all of its full- time employees each month from April through June. Local journalism is more important now than ever. Please consider subscribing at checkout.oklahoman.com. Here is a list of newsroom employees who are out this week: Director of busi- ness and lifestyles Clytie Bunyan, opinion editor Owen Canfield, food editor Dave Cathey, local government reporter Bill Crum, busi- ness editor David Dishman, watchdog reporter Randy Ellis, faith editor Carla Hinton, high school sports reporter Cameron Jourdan, i i Lackmeyer, data manager Darla Lindauer, education reporter Nuria Martinez- Keel, digital managing editor Dave Morris, copy editor Felicia Murray, sports editor Jeff Patterson, news director Ryan Sharp, and OSU athlet- ics writer Jacob Unruh.

Oklahoman staffers on furlough this week If passed, Oklahoma will have until July 1, 2021, to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The fed- eral government would cover of the costs, the state would cover the remaining Other red states, such as Idaho, Nebraska and Utah, previously approved Medicaid expansion at the ballot box. But never before has a state been forced to decide such a consequential health care question in the middle of a global pandemic. Supporters and critics of the state question say COVID-19 and the economic fallout of the pandemic are weighing on minds. Yes on 802 Campaign Manager Amber England said with Oklahoma now in the fourth month of the COVID- 19 pandemic, people are undoubtedly thinking about health care and what could happen to them or a loved one if they get sick.

more than ever, people understand that when you get sick, you need health insurance and that many, many people in this country are just one illness away from she said. But critics of SQ 802 point to the economic impact of the pandemic to bolster their case that Oklahoma afford to expand Medicaid. a a a Care Authority estimates share of Medicaid expansion would amount to about $164 million annually to cover about 215,000 addi- tional Medicaid recipients. State health officials have noted costs could rise due to skyrocketing unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. John Tidwell, Oklahoma state director of Americans for Prosperity, which opposes SQ 802, said estimates aren't always accurate.

States often have underes- timated the costs of expansion and had more people than expected sign up, he said. Because SQ 802 would go in the constitution, the state do anything to limit enrollment, and that should worry people, he said. really Tidwell said. no plan to pay for it. The only way we can pay for it is to cut educa- tion funding, to cut road and bridge funding, and not something that people Gov.

Kevin Stitt, who opposes SQ 802, has made a similar case, saying the state would have to choose between raising taxes or cutting ser- vices to pay for Medicaid expansion. But state legislators this a a urging, found the money for an expansion, in large part, by increasing a hospital pro- vider fee. Stitt later vetoed the funding mechanism and backed away from his plan to expand Medicaid this year. House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman, said the pandemic has shown more clearly than ever why Oklahoma needs to expand Medicaid. Many Oklahomans have a primary care doctor and are visiting the emergency room for COVID- 19 care or to get tested, she said.

The pandemic also affects communities of color at higher rates, and a big factor in that is because of the lack of afford- able access to health care, she said. public does know a lot about this issue, and not just because read about Virgin said. seen the effects of the lack of expanding Medicaid, especially in rural areas where hospitals have closed or gone bankrupt. People are losing access to affordable health care simply because those hospitals afford to stay in businesses in rural areas right Nearly three dozen health, religious, civic engagement organizations and other groups have endorsed SQ 802, including the Oklahoma State Medical Association, a a i a A i a i a a Nurses Association, Oklahoma a i A i a i a a a i Chamber, State Chamber of Oklahoma and several of the state's largest Native American tribes. Supporters of SQ 802 say Medicaid expansion could help rural hospitals survive because the expansion will bring about $1 billion in additional federal funds to Oklahoma.

In the past decade, seven rural hospitals in Oklahoma have closed. i a of Wagoner Community Hospital, said with SQ 802, more people in the Tulsa suburb would qualify for Medicaid, which would reduce the number of uninsured patients who come into the 100-bed facility way this helps our hos- pital is that a lot of the people that are uninsured would have coverage, so it would reduce the number of bad debt write-offs from the he said. of that that gets done drops straight through to the bottom Detractors argue Medicaid expansion neces- sarily stop hospital closures. rural hospitals in 16 other states have closed down after had Medicaid expansion on their Stitt said. just think other ways to expand health The governor said he plans to vote against SQ 802.

A big part of his argument has been the economic impact of COVID-19, which decimated the state budget and caused the state to fall short of reve- nue projections for the current and upcoming fiscal years. Legislators had to tap state savings and cut some agency budgets to fill gaping budget holes. Local pollster Pat McFerron said the change in state rev- enues caused by COVID-19 and a steep drop in oil prices seemed to factor into the SQ 802 debate as people were asking themselves if the state could afford an expansion. However, McFerron seemed to think that with businesses back open and a rebound in oil prices, voters wouldn't be as concerned about whether Oklahoma can afford to expand Medicaid. "I fully expect it to pass rather easily," McFerron said of SQ 802.

An Amber Integrated poll of 500 likely voters conducted in early June showed of those surveyed supported SQ 802, with opposed and undecided. SQ 802 is backed by the nonprofit group Oklahomans Decide Healthcare, which will not have to report its donors until after Election Day. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs and Americans for Prosperity, which formed a PAC to oppose SQ 802, have been some of the most vocal opposition. This is the wording on bal- lots for State Question 802 STATE QUESTION NO. 802 INITIATIVE PETITION NO.

419 Medicaid is a government- sponsored health insurance program for qualifying low- income persons. This measure would add a provision to the Oklahoma Constitution requir- ing the State to expand Medicaid coverage. The expanded cov- erage would include certain persons over 18 and under 65 who are not already covered and whose annual income, as calculated under federal law, is at or below of the federal poverty line. The federal pov- erty line changes annually, but for example if this measure were in effect in 2019, the measure generally would have covered a single adult making less than $17,236 annually and adults in a family of four making less than $35,535 annually. Under this measure, the State cannot create addi- tional restrictions that make it more difficult to qualify for expanded Medicaid cover- age than it is to qualify for the Medicaid program currently in place.

The Medicaid program is funded jointly by the federal government and the State. This measure would require the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to try to maximize federal funding for Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma. If the measure is approved, OHCA has 90 days to submit all documents neces- sary to obtain federal approval for implementing Medicaid expansion by July 1, 2021. MEDICAID From Page A1 scene obviously shot in the district; that scene shows her walking in Oklahoma new Scissortail Park down- town, with the skyline in the background. Sean Rose, a spokesman for campaign, said pre- vious ads have shown rural and urban scenes of the district.

our district com- i a communities like Edmond, a a A Choctaw, Seminole, Shawnee and Tecumseh, Oklahoma City is the largest part of the district and our skyline is the most Rose said. Cam Savage, the lead con- sultant for campaign, said the purpose was to show real people giving testimonials for Bice, not to establish a place. was done in a time of Savage said. way it was created and the concept around it are both products of that. There were limitations on how we could shoot people.

The ad was clearly designed to allow people to partici- pate in an ad, but we really able to go on location and do Moreover, he said, the con- cept of the ad was having Bice on a zoom call with support- ers, and participants be doing it in a city There are nine candidates seeking the GOP nomination in the district, which includes most of Oklahoma County and Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties. The primary is Tuesday. If a runoff is necessary to decide the race, as expected, that would be on Aug. 25. The GOP nominee will face Rep.

Kendra Horn, D-Oklahoma City, who has primary opposition from Tom Guild, of Edmond; this is sixth time to run for the seat. The general election race is expected to be one of the most closely watched House contests in the country. Horn is among about four dozen Democrats who won seats in 2018 in districts carried by President Donald Trump, and national Republicans have tar- geted the seat. Other races Only two of the other four Oklahomans in the U.S. House have primary challenges on Tuesday.

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, has three oppo- nents, none of whom has filed a campaign finance report this year or is expected to be competitive. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, has two oppo- nents, including state Sen. Joseph Silk, of Watson, who became known in the Legislature for authoriz- ing legislation to criminalize abortion.

Silk has not reported raising any money for the race in a district where Mullin has easily fought off primary chal- lengers in the past. Sen. Jim Inhofe, of Tulsa, has three Republican oppo- nents, though he is expected to win easily. Four Democrats are seeking the nomination to face Inhofe in the fall. Of those, former Oklahoma City television reporter Abby Broyles has raised more than $535,000 for the race and has been the most visible campaigner.

Ads and money In the 5th District race, Hill, 52, is the only one of the lead- ing GOP candidates never to have served in or run for public office. Bice, 46, is a state senator; Neese, 72, was the Republican nominee for lieu- tenant governor in 1990; and Barresi, 68, served one term as state schools superintendent. There is little difference among them on the major issues; all are embracing the president and his priorities. They have been emphasiz- ing gun rights, finishing the border wall, bringing jobs back from China and reopening the economy amid the pandemic. Bice has come under heavy fire from the conservative Club for Growth in the past week, as the group has spent more than $300,000 on tele- vision ads and direct mail criticizing her votes for a tax hike and a tax incentive for film and television produc- tions.

Bice has defended the votes and responded to the ad with a new one of her own. The impact of the late attack was unclear last week. Hill has raised the most money in the past two weeks from con- tributions of $1,000 or more $100,000 through Friday, according to his campaign. Sharon Caldwell, who is running campaign, said the setting for his ads reflect his values. a conservative man- ufacturer, an outsider who enjoys pickup trucks, shoot- ing guns with his kids, and has a passion for creating jobs and getting America back on Caldwell said.

Matt Langston, spokesman for the Neese campaign, said Neese wanted to highlight her Cotton County roots in her ads. there are many voters who know Terry i Oklahoma City as a job cre- ator, nonprofit leader, and small business owner, there are also many voters who are unaware of upbringing in Cookietown, where a por- tion of our ad was Langston said. was in Cookietown where Terry learned to be from her parents, and where Terry learned the importance of protecting pro-life, pro-gun, conservative DISTRICT From Page A1 The general election race is expected to be one of the most closely watched House contests in the country. Horn is among about four dozen Democrats who won seats in 2018 in districts carried by President Donald Trump, and national Republicans have targeted the seat..