Bottoms outlines plan to fund Medicaid in solo debate

(The Center Square) – Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms outlined her plans to fund Medicaid expansion and chided her opponent as she stood on the debate stage alone Monday night.

Republican Rick Jackson declined to participate in the Atlanta Press Club debate.

"Rick Jackson is the first gubernatorial candidate not to stand here in 32 years," Bottoms said in her opening statement. "He'd rather hide behind his billions than explain to you his record of making billions off the taxpayers of Georgia."

A panel of journalists questioned Bottoms about her promise to expand Medicaid on her first day in office, asking how she would pay for it.

"The first thing we need to do is get rid of the waste in government in Georgia," Bottoms said. "Right now, we are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the Georgia Pathways program that is supposed to provide access to affordable healthcare to the people of Georgia. So the first thing that I will do will be to get rid of that Georgia Pathways program."