Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

New legislation would cut aid to some Nebraska non-citizens
By Johnny Perez
Daily Nebraskan (U. Nebraska)
02/23/2007

(U-WIRE) LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Unicameral's committee on Health and Human Services is considering a piece of legislation that would eliminate public assistance, such as Medicaid, to certain non-U.S. citizens.

Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, speaker of the Legislature, introduced the legislation on behalf of Gov. Dave Heineman, who made the legislation proposition a part of his biennial budget recommendations.

Should the legislation pass, legal immigrants who have lived in Nebraska for fewer than five years will no longer receive assistance such as Medicaid, food stamps and the Aid to Dependent Children and Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled programs.

The purpose of the legislation, officials said, is to curb state spending while aligning Nebraska law with federal regulations concerning public assistance coverage for certain non-citizens.

In the 2006 fiscal year, 355 Nebraskans received food stamps, 465 received Medicaid benefits, 158 received Aid to Dependent Children benefits and 54 received Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled benefits, according to a report generated by the Legislature's fiscal analysts.

The report states that about $2.9 million would be saved in the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years if the legislation passes.

Lawful permanent residents who have lived in the United States more than five years would continue to receive benefits under the proposed legislation.

The law also wouldn't affect legal residents eligible for federally funded services, such as refugees, those granted asylum, parolees from Cuba and Haiti and active-duty military personnel.

Heineman was ill Thursday and unavailable for comment.

His spokesman, Aaron Sanderford, said the federal government reimburses states for some of the costs associated with Medicaid.

But a federal law passed in 1996 barred federal funding for legal permanent residents until they had been in the United States for five years, he said.

Nebraska law, as a result, mandated that the state cover the costs of assisting those people from the state's general fund.

Nebraska's policies, therefore, are out of touch with what the federal government wanted, Sanderford said.

"The state did not follow suit and change its policies at the time," he said. "This is simply aligning our policies with what the federal policy has been for some time."

The rising cost of Medicare was another factor the governor's office considered before making the recommendation, Sanderford said.

The legislation, he said, is another way to save money.

"Is it a budget saving method? Absolutely," Sanderford said. "Is it something that's done lightly? No."

Christine Peterson, the chief administrative officer of the Nebraska Health and Human Services system, was unavailable for comment Thursday.

Peterson testified in support of the legislation during a January committee hearing.

At the hearing, Peterson argued that new legal arrivals to the U.S. should not depend on the government for assistance.

"(They) should rely, instead, on their own efforts and on the support of the sponsors that helped bring them into the country," she said.

Gerry Oligmueller, the state budget administrator, said the legislation was necessary because it saved money.

If it doesn't pass, he said, the state would need to raise the additional $3 million to support the continuation of benefits.

"Other agencies like the University of Nebraska would be in competition for these funds," he said.

The governor's office agreed. But, Sanderford said, "No one takes any joy from saving money this way."

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