Agreement reached on Minnesota health bill
The heath and human services bill cuts spending by $114 million. Final legislative action could come soon, but the governor said earlier he would veto it.
The measure could get final passage late Wednesday or early Thursday, but faces a veto threat from Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who has opposed several provisions. Leaders of the committee were to meet Wednesday with his staff to discuss the bill.
Chief among Pawlenty's objections has been a provision that would move about 37,000 poor, sick Minnesotans from the state's scaled-back General Assistance Medical Care program into an expanded state-federal Medicaid program.
His administration earlier estimated that the move would bring in about $900 million over the next three years until 2014, when the federal government would pick up the entire cost. The state would have to match that in the meantime, a pricetag the governor says is too high.
But leaders of the committee said the state's general fund cost actually will be less than $600 million, in part because the bill also would draw more federal dollars than Pawlenty had counted on.
"We hope the governor can see the benefits of this bill -- getting better health coverage for our people, giving health care providers better reimbursement and on top of that pretty much matching the amount of budget cuts he wanted,'' said Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, one of the lead conferees.
"Essentially, we've made cuts without having to cut people off of health and human services programs, and we've accepted many of the cuts the governor already made," she said. "But I long ago gave up predicting what the governor will do."
There was no immediate response from the governor's office, where officials were waiting to get and read a copy of the committee's compromise, completed at 3 a.m. Wednesday.
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news summary
This basic news summary would be relevant for any single day in the past 8 years: (1) The legislature is doing something that would increase the quality of life in MN but cost money. (2) The governor is against any increase in the quality of life if his rich friends have to pay for it. (3) Nothing happens and the rest of us are frustrated while we careen inexorably towards looking a lot like Mississippi.Who is this Tim person?
And why does he hate our state?Wow
I think we should veto the Governor. Hs does not understand to get things done, you need to work with both sides. His attitude is, MY way or no way."but the governor said he would veto it"
Can somebody please take the needle off of this bad record? It seems to be skipping on a huge scratch and is getting really annoying.Pawlenty
considers a veto constructive criticism. If you never propose anything, it can never be your fault--right?Apparently you do NOT understand that health and human services is NOT and will NEVER be a profit center no matter how much tax money you pour into it. Wow...get a clue!
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