Healthcare Dominates Candidate Forum At Athens Church

Healthcare generally and Medicaid expansion specifically dominated the forum last week for candidates for Georgia Senate District 46 and House District 117 and House District 119 organized by the Athens Community Agenda.

Democrats Deborah Gonzalez and Jonathan Wallace, incumbents representing the 117th and 119th Georgia House districts respectively, said they support Medicaid expansion, as did Marisue Hilliard, the Democratic candidate for Georgia Senate District 46.

Incumbent Republican Senator Bill Cowsert did not support Medicaid expansion, though he said he expected bills to be introduced in the 2019 session of the General Assembly that would seek permission from the federal government to expand Medicaid with waivers of existing rules.

Republican Houston Gaines, challenging Gonzalez in the 117th House District race, and Republican Marcus Wiedower, challenging Wallace in the 119th House District race, did not attend the forum, held at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Athens.

Gaines was present for the informal gathering before the forum but left before questioning began because of a commitment he said he had made in Barrow County, a small part of which is in the 117th House District.

Wiedower said he learned of the forum shortly before it took place and had a business commitment he could not break.

For more on the story, with a video of the forum, please go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Panelists for the forum.