Update on Blagojevich's health care lawsuit
Don’t expect to find out whether Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s health care expansion plans are ruled unconstitutional until at least next month. After a hearing in Chicago Friday, each party in the lawsuit needs to spell out its arguments in briefs for the judge to review. A status hearing isn’t scheduled until February 19, which happens to be the day before the governor’s annual and much-anticipated — or dreaded, depending on who you are — budget address. That’s when he maps out his agenda for the year.
Background: Attorney Richard Caro of Riverside sued the administration alleging the governor’s actions to expand state-sponsored health care were unconstitutional because he would have extended coverage to 147,000 more people for $42 million in the first year — all without legislative approval. The lawsuit includes similar allegations by the Illinois Coalition for Jobs, Growth, and Prosperity, represented by businessman Ron Gidwitz, a Republican who ran for governor, and Greg Baise, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturer’s Association.
History: The governor first couldn’t get his health care plans through the Illinois General Assembly last year, mostly because he proposed paying for it with a huge tax on businesses. Then he tried to use his executive authority and advance the plan through the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, made up of six Democrats and six Republicans. That didn’t work, either. The committee rejected the emergency plan in November.
Future: Jim Duffett, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Better Health Care that’s supporting the governor’s efforts, said he hopes the court case doesn’t have a chilling effect on lawmakers who actually want to expand health care. He advises against using the lawsuit as a diversion to the evidence that a majority of Illinois voters are concerned about health care and want guaranteed affordable health care for all. See a summary of the statewide survey here.
Watch for more about the health care lawsuit against the governor in the next edition of Illinois Issues magazine, due out in early February.
6 comments:
Unfortunately, Duffett has become nothing more than a pimp for the Governor, and has lost a lot of credibility in the process.
Just like every legislator has become a pimp for the IMA, IRMA and Illinois Chamber.
They have no credibility on this.
Also, "evidence" presented without toplines or crosstabs, with biased questions isn't much evidence at all. It is regrettable that Duffet chose to sell out his organization's credibility to back the governor's unconstitutional maneuver. What ever would he say should some future governor use unconstitutional means to take away health care? As a liberal who wants universal health care, I deplore the governor's tactics and condemn ICBHC support of them. I suspect that there's little support around ICBHC HQ for George Bush, who also ignores the constitution when it suits his purposes. They ought to recognize a Democrat doing it to acheive Democratic policy goals is no better.
With all the hullaballoo at the last JCAR meeting (Jan. 9) concerning the Public Health smoking rules, the press completely overlooked the fact that JCAR also blocked yet another attempt by HFS to expand healthcare coverage (in this case, preventive care for adults over 21) with absolutely no explanation for how the expansion would be paid for. The agency rules coordinator responded to the vote by saying she would take the rule prohibition "under advisement," meaning, most likely, that the agency will continue to ignore it. The battle royal between HFS (ultimately the governor) and JCAR is just starting.
Duffett has lost whatever little influence he had with the legislators by engaging in the same slimy tactics as the Gov's people. What goes around, comes around.
Let's not be so quick to condemn Duffett and the Campaign for Better Health Care to the dustbin. He's been working on this for ages, and now comes a governor who's willing go to the mat and through it to make it happen. You really expect Duffett to say, wait a minute, not so fast? Duffett hasn't changed, and neither has his group. The problem here is the governor and his tactics; Duffet's just along for the ride.
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