SACRAMENTO, California — A slim majority of California voters support the state’s coverage of undocumented residents’ health care — but not unconditionally — according to a new poll, offering rare insight into public opinion on a program facing fierce scrutiny from Washington and growing calls to cut back amid a budget shortfall.
The first-of-its-kind POLITICO-UC Berkeley Citrin Center survey shows 21 percent of voters believe California should continue to offer Medicaid to undocumented immigrants, even if it means the state is forced to make cuts elsewhere. Another 32 percent said the state should continue the program but prioritize people in the country legally if budget cuts are necessary.
Nearly a third (31 percent) said the state never should have opened up its Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants, especially working-age adults, while 17 percent believe the state should partially or fully reverse such coverage. The findings could offer direction for state lawmakers as they grapple with higher-than-expected costs in deciding on the next budget, said Jack Citrin, a longtime UC Berkeley political science professor…