CNN —
Voters in several states have approved progressive measures that could not get through a Democratic-led Congress or Republican-dominated statehouses.
More low-income South Dakota residents will have access to Medicaid, and Arizona residents with medical debt will get more protections. Minimum wage workers in Nebraska will get a boost in pay.
Here’s a sampling of the ballot measures:
South Dakota voters voted to broaden Medicaid to roughly 42,500 low-income residents starting in mid-2023. The measure passed 56% to 44%, according to South Dakota Secretary of State data.
“South Dakotans know their families and neighbors deserve health care without going into debt or avoiding check-ups, procedures, and medication they need,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of The Fairness Project, which backed the measure.
It’s the seventh successful effort to expand Medicaid in Republican-led states, which began with the approval of Maine voters in 2017. Ballot initiatives have also passed in Missouri, Oklahoma, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah in recent years.
More than 60 organizations – including the South Dakota Farmers Union, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and multiple health care and religious groups – endorsed Amendment D. It will open up coverage to adults making less than roughly $19,000 a year.
Currently, childless adults are not eligible for Medicaid in South Dakota, and parents must have very low incomes to qualify –...
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