Medicaid reform in Oklahoma: Legislative information sources on a complicated issue

Abstract

How do legislators make up their minds when voting on complex issues such as health care reform? This paper seeks to answer that question and provide insight as to which sources legislators rely on for information. This paper uses a research strategy similar to that used by John Kingdon (1989) in his study of congressional voting decisions and David Ray's 1982 study of voting cues in state legislatures. The research is based on the Oklahoma Legislature's adoption of a managed care system for its Medicaid program in 1993. The data for this study are drawn from a survey sent to members of the Oklahoma Legislature and interviews with 25 legislators and others involved in the policy process.