Many California Democrats missed the key deadline last week and failed to introduce a new version of single-payer health care they claim to support.
The California Nurses Association was reportedly in talks with Sen. Mike McGuire about running a bill this year but discussions apparently fell through.
“Senator McGuire’s admission that he could not get enough political consensus to move a bill around this issue is troubling,” Stephanie Roberson, a lobbyist for the CNA said in a statement. “To not have a comprehensive solution on the table in the first year of a two-year session in the most progressive legislature in the country is baffling.”
“As many Californians know, I’m a strong supporter of Medicare for All,” McGuire said in a statement. “For legislation as complex and significant as this, and to combat a hostile Trump administration, we need to continue our substantial policy and fiscal discussions to move this important issue to the next step.”
The CNA fought to create a government-run system in California to replace private insurance but the bill, SB 562, didn't include a way to pay for the system.
Gov. Newsom also endorsed SB 562 but has not publicly called for lawmakers to introduce a new version since he has been in office.
“I think it’s inevitable in this country, and I think states will pay an outsize role in terms of advancing the debate,” Newsom told reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Monday. “Problem is, we need waivers in order to do it.”
Newsom stirred the pot earlier this year when he announced he wanted to expand eligibility for California's health care coverage to young adults living in the state illegally.
Read more at the Sac Bee.