Gov. Tate Reeves privately tells senators he will veto any Medicaid expansion bill

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves summoned a group of state senators to the Governor’s Mansion in early March and privately told them he will veto any Medicaid expansion bill lawmakers pass, two senators told Mississippi Today. Reeves invited the group of about 15 senators to the Governor’s Mansion to socialize with him — a common occurrence when the Legislature is in session — at a critical time for the GOP-controlled Senate. Numerous Capitol observers also say Reeves’ legislative team has put on a full-court press lobbying the Senate against Medicaid expansion. The Senate faces deadlines for action, and at this point Medicaid expansion is in its hands after the House overwhelmingly passed an expansion proposal on Feb. 28. This marked the first earnest movement on expansion in the state since Congress passed the Affordable Care Act.