CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – The Wyoming House of Representatives has voted down a bill that would have allowed the state health department to work with tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation to develop a demonstration health project.

The bill to approve the project failed on Wednesday to receive the required two-thirds vote for introduction in the House. The vote was 33 in favor to 27 opposed.

Democratic Rep. Patrick Goggles of Ethete urged approval of the bill. He’s a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe.

Goggles said after the vote that supporters will continue to work on the issue and hope they can bring up the issue again through other legislation.

The bill would have authorized the health department to investigate offering Medicaid coverage to Indians and wouldn’t have affected the department’s budget.