Released: September 09, 2007

California’s ambitious health plan fails

Source: Kevin Sack, New York Times (Free Registration)

After losing much of August to a budget impasse, state lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have been unable to reach agreement on a proposal to extend health coverage to all uninsured Californians, raising the possibility of a special session of the Legislature and a statewide ballot measure.

Last January, in the afterglow of a triumphant legislative session and an easy election to a second term, Mr. Schwarzenegger proposed coverage for all 6.7 million uninsured Californians. Vowing that his state would lead the nation, the moderate Republican made his plan the centerpiece of a new “postpartisan” politics.

But with the Legislature speeding toward adjournment next week, enactment of Mr. Schwarzenegger’s proposal is far from certain. Though there is consensus on the issue’s urgency, there is no agreement on either the breadth or the financing of a health plan.

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