Mitch Perry
Less than half an hour after Senate President Andy Gardiner sent a letter to House Speaker Steve Crisafulli on Wednesday asking him to bring the House back into Session, Crisafulli responded forcefully.
He’s not doing it.
The defiant speaker chastised the Senate in the letter, referring to bills the House has passed but have yet to get through the Senate. Crisafulli said the Senate “has refused to allocate funds to our schools, our environment, and our justice system, based on a view of health care policy that is predicated on borrowing against the future of our children and grandchildren.”
The legislative crisis is stems from the impasse between House and Senate regarding Medicaid expansion. The Senate wants to take up the a variation on the federal Affordable Care Act plan, but the House wants no part of it. That led Crisafulli to abruptly end the House’s Legislative Session on Tuesday, three days early.
Later on in his reply letter, the House speaker asked Gardiner if the Senate felt so passionate about Medicaid expansion, “Why did (sic) not ask a House member to file a bill? Why did you not send us your bill so we had something to consider? Why did you not ask it be part of the Joint Work Plan?”
Crisafulli concluded by saying that he looks forward to working with Gardiner in Special Session, yet to be announced.
