California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called state lawmakers back to Sacramento for a special session in hopes of hammering out a deal on the governor's ambitious $12 billion universal health care plan for California.
In recent weeks, Schwarzenegger has been lobbying the state's business leaders to back his health care initiative that would cover roughly 6.5 million uninsured residents. On Monday, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, which boasts 1,500 members, endorsed the plan, potentially providing the Republican governor with enough support to win over other pro-business organizations that have been reluctant to support the reform package because it would require raising taxes.
"What everyone wants, and what we all want, is access to health care so it is affordable and so that everyone can have health care, and no one ever has to worry about it again," Schwarzenegger said in Los Angeles last week.
However, Schwarzenegger still faces opposition from the state's Republican lawmakers who opposed raising taxes or forcing hospitals to pay a surcharge to finance the deal. But an agreement in principle has been reached between the governor and the Democratic majority leadership in the state legislature that would see some of the proposals approved during the special session. Other measures would be placed on a ballot initiative next year and voters would be asked to support new taxes that would raise billions of dollars to pay for the health care package.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/092007J.shtmlArnold's always been a practical man w/ balls like boulders. He's addressing an important issue. I hope he does well.
