California Governor Does Not Plan To Submit Health Care Proposal To Legislature Until Possibly Later This Session

Advisers to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) say his health care expansion proposal will not be introduced as legislation because they do not want it to be dissected in legislative hearings, the AP/Los Angeles Daily News reports. Instead, the administration “appears to be waiting to” introduce the proposal in negotiations later this legislative session, according to the AP/Daily News (Kurtzman, AP/Los Angeles Daily News, 4/24). Schwarzenegger said, “I think the action is to have a vision and to have a very clear goal of what you’re trying to accomplish,” adding that in the case of health care, his administration has “made it very clear we want to go and have everyone in California insured and have mandatory insurance” (Rojas, Sacramento Bee, 4/25). Meanwhile, the state Legislature is “moving forward with a very different approach” from Schwarzenegger’s plan, the AP/Daily News reports (AP/Los Angeles Daily News, 4/24). A near-universal coverage plan introduced by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D) passed its first committee on Tuesday, and a similar plan by state Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata (D) was approved by the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday (Chorneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/26). Both legislators are opposed to a provision included in Schwarzenegger’s proposal that would require all individuals to obtain health insurance. State Democrats generally support efforts to provide health coverage to all children and many adults through government subsidies and health insurance mandates on businesses