Government
Connecticut Legislature overrides governor on public plan
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 27, 2009
The Connecticut General Assembly on July 20 overrode Gov. M. Jodi Rell's July 8 veto of a bill designed to expand health coverage in the state.
The measure will establish a nine-member board to develop a health insurance plan for people who don't qualify for other public programs and who don't have access to employer-sponsored insurance. Rell had cited concerns about the estimated $1 billion cost of fully implementing the bill. The House easily achieved the necessary two-thirds majority, but the Senate did only narrowly, with its 24-12 vote.
The Senate fell one vote short of overriding Rell's veto of the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership bill, which would have allowed employees of nonprofits, small businesses and local governments to enroll in the same health plan as state employees.
Connecticut House Speaker Christopher Donovan said the fact that the Legislature overrode seven of Rell's vetoes, shows she is out of touch with residents. "Through her vetoes, Gov. Rell turned her back on Connecticut families looking for help, especially with concerns about health care," Donovan said.
Rell said 13 of her 20 vetoes this legislative session were upheld or not challenged. "I vetoed these bills because they had unacceptable fiscal impacts or represented poor public policy. ... I remain particularly concerned about the fiscal impact of the [public plan] bill."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/07/27/gvbf0727.htm.
