A bill to restore some funding to the General Assistance Medical Care program passed the state Senate in a 45-20 vote this afternoon.

Although several Republicans urged that more time be allowed to fully understand the legislation and its impact on the state budget, DFLers were able to prevail and vote down a GOP attempt to send it back to the Finance Committee for a more detailed fiscal report.

GAMC is a 35-year-old state program that has served impoverished adults without children who are not eligible for Medicaid, which is jointly funded by the state and federal government. The program is scheduled to run out of money by the end of March.

The bill, a joint DFL proposal crafted by Sen. Linda Berglin and Rep. Erin Murphy, has gone through several changes since its presentation in December, particularly after outstate and smaller hospitals complained they would become "losers" under a plan to redistribute federal dollars to hospitals serving the most GAMC patients.

Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, tried to amend the bill to prevent those prisoners who had been convicted of sexual predatory conduct from receiving GAMC benefits after their release. The amendment failed.

A video of today's session is available here.   

The House Finance Committee also has scheduled a hearing on Murphy’s bill at 6:30 p.m. today in Room 200 of the State Office Building.