Last rites for Healthy Wisconsin in budget?
Republicans seized on comments Sen. Bob Jauch made about Healthy Wisconsin that appeared in two newspapers in his northern Wisconsin district, saying they suggest Dems are losing resolve to keep the plan in the budget.
But Jauch's chief of staff Dan Kanninen said this morning that some of the comments were taken out of context and Jauch and the Senate Democrats on the committee are not wavering in their support for the universal health plan.
The Superior Daily Telegram reported that Jauch "admitted that the Senate Democrats' 'Healthy Wisconsin' health care plan is all but dead."
"I won't take it off the table in a press conference, but it will be difficult to approve it in its present form, or any form at all," he was quoted as saying.
See the Superior Daily Telegram story here.
The story from the Ashland Daily Press used the quotes a little differently. See it here.
Kanninen said the "all but dead" line was an "editorial assumption" by the Daily Telegram, and did not reflect Jauch's comments in the phone interview with the papers.
Kanninen said Jauch acknowledges that there is strong opposition from Republicans for the plan, but Jauch and the Democrats believe the status quo on health care is unacceptable.
"Bob still believes in the plan strongly as does (Senate Majority Leader) Judy (Robson) and Senator (Russ) Decker," he said. "If there is some movement there (toward dropping it), it is certainly not from Senator Jauch."
Mike Prentiss, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said the comments show the divide in the caucus and among the Dems at the conference table.
"It's very difficult to negotiate with people who can't seem to get their story straight among the three of them," he said, also noting that Gov. Jim Doyle has not endorsed the plan and that top aides to Doyle have said the plan will not be in the final budget.
