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Sacramento Bee
By Clea Benson
June 16, 2006
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger distanced himself
from his fellow Republicans on Thursday on one of the
main issues holding up the state budget: whether the
state should provide health care for all children, including
those who are undocumented immigrants.
Republicans in the Legislature say they won't vote for
a spending plan if it includes about $22 million the
governor is proposing for county health insurance programs
that cover all children, including those who are undocumented.
Republicans also oppose another $1.8 million Democrats
added as a first step toward allowing all children to
qualify for state health care programs that serve low-
and moderate-income families.
At a news conference Thursday, Schwarzenegger agreed
with Democrats that the state should provide coverage
to children regardless of their immigration status.
"For me, we should not politicize the children and drag
them into this," Schwarzenegger said. "Children need
to get all the attention if they are here legally or
illegally. Every child should have the right to some
health care and the schooling and so on."
But the governor also said he opposes Democrats' plans
to expand the number of children who are eligible for
health programs, saying the state cannot afford it right
now.
The governor's remarks elicited mixed reactions from
both Democratic and Republican legislative leaders, who
have been negotiating over the health care issue and
other sticking points. They missed Thursday's constitutional
deadline for passing a state budget for the fiscal year
that begins July 1. Talks are scheduled to continue today
on the $131 billion budget proposal for 2006-07.
"I agree with the first part of that statement, that
the governor finds it in his heart to know that undocumented
children are human beings and that their humanity is
just as important as anyone else's," said Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez. "However, I would like to
see funds for health care not to be left for another
year but provided now."
Núñez, D-Los Angeles, said he was hopeful
that a budget agreement could be completed as soon as
next week.
Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman downplayed the
division between the governor and Republicans in the
Legislature on services to undocumented children.
"Everyone has different ideas on this," said Ackerman,
of Irvine. "Republicans have generally not supported
the grant of various benefits packages to illegals."
The state currently provides some health services to
undocumented children, including emergency medical care
and disability screening programs. The federal government
also requires states to provide prenatal care and labor
and delivery services to undocumented immigrants who
are pregnant.
So far, Schwarzenegger has kept some distance from the
budget endgame. H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department
of Finance, said the governor was "keeping tabs" on
the talks between legislative leaders but was not attending
them.
"He knows they still have a ways to go to close the
gaps, but he also knows there is a sincerity and a willingness
to work on agreements," Palmer said.
Apart from the children's health care issue, Schwarzenegger
and the Republicans are close together on many of the
remaining sticking points. Ackerman and Assembly Republican
leader George Plescia of La Jolla are pushing to restore
some funding for items the governor wanted that Democrats
removed, such as money for law enforcement efforts.
Republican legislators and the governor are also pushing
to use $1 billion of a tax windfall to pay down state
debts rather than put it in a reserve account as Democrats
have proposed.
Still, in an interview earlier this week, Ackerman said
there are really three different sides in this year's
budget debate.
"At some point in time, we get the governor involved
(in budget talks)," Ackerman said. "His interests may
be different from both Republicans and Democrats, so
we have to work with him, too.
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