The Governor made a surprise appearance at a news conference with child healthcare advocates and the Democratic legislative leaders. He made it clear that he’s not willing to stop at insuring all children – he wants everyone to have health insurance. And he seemed undaunted by the fact that Republicans won’t support his plan:
“All of this stuff I’m not that worried about. It makes it more difficult when not everyone’s on board, yes. There will be a lot of minefields in front of us. There will be a lot of stumbling blocks in front of us. But we have almost three weeks. We are going to do it.”
Democratic leaders plan to put a bill that doesn’t need Republican support on the Governor’s desk. The measure would require businesses to cover workers or pay into a state fund. Democrats also have back-up bills ready that would insure all children if the larger measure fails.
The Assembly Speaker is expected to put Governor Schwarzenegger’s healthcare plan up for a vote on the floor Thursday. It requires a two-thirds vote to pass….and it’s not expected to get that.