The Idaho Legislature will hold its first-ever hearing on a Medicaid expansion bill next week, giving the public an opportunity to weigh in on one of the most politically contentious issues facing the state, reports Bill Spence of the Lewiston Tribune. Senate Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, has scheduled a hearing Tuesday on two personal bills introduced by Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow.

Heider told Spence his decision to hold a hearing on the issue was a tribute to Schmidt and the credibility he's developed with his colleagues. "We have a member of this committee who has a plan and who's gone to the trouble of writing a bill," he said Wednesday. "Maybe it will be a proposal we all like and it will move forward."

Schmidt has worked on this issue for years, encouraging lawmakers in a non-confrontational way to at least talk about Idaho's health care system and to look for ways to improve it. "I believe I've gotten some respect over time," he said. "In my heart of hearts, I don't think the committee will pass it, but I'm very thankful for the opportunity." Spence’s full report is online here.