Excerpt from Kevin Landrigan’s State House Dome in the Union Leader February 8, 2025

Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester, testified in support of legislation (SB 134) to try to resurrect a work requirement for able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid health insurance benefits

Sen. Howard Pearl, R-Loudon, who is championing this one effort has powerful allies including House Majority Leader Jason Osborne and Rep. Jess Edwards, both R-Auburn.

For Stephen the issue is personal.

As the former Health and Human Services commissioner, Stephen convinced the Legislature to create a work mandate but a federal judge in 2019 blocked the law here and in Arkansas, which adopted a similar provision.