Legislative leaders on Tuesday turned more than 40 ideas on subjects such as insurance, education and transportation into bills that will be considered when the legislative session begins in January.
The panel of 10 Democrats and eight Republicans passed three proposals by an almost party-line vote of 11-7 to consider programs to help defray the cost of health care. But the group declined to endorse several tax credit proposals.
The wide-ranging discussions by the Legislative Council previewed a likely theme of next year’s session – debate over whether an idea constitutes a new program or a more efficient way to do business.
Officials such as Republican Gov. Bill Owens have said the $3.7 billion in additional revenues this month’s passage of Referendum C will bring to the state over the next five years is not intended to create new programs.
Democratic Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald has said she won’t allow new programs that add costs, but would consider those that save the state money. Tuesday, she said there wasn’t enough money to endorse several proposed tax credits.
Republican Sen. Ron Teck reminded the panel that many supporters of the measure assured voters the money wouldn’t be spent on tax credits or new programs.
“I think if we were to start that kind of thing at this point in time, we would finish whatever credibility we had with the electorate,” Teck said.
But Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff called the debate over new programs a “phony argument.”
“The debate that matters to people outside the building is, ‘What’s the best way to reduce our health care costs?”‘ he said. “I’d be happy to stand up and defend a new approach to health care if I thought it was more effective because I think what we’re doing isn’t working.”
One of the health care bills endorsed Tuesday would help small businesses insure their employees. Another would provide treatment for uninsured, low-income adults. The third proposal would provide subsidies to help lower-income people purchase health insurance.
All three programs are vying for $15 million that is available now that Referendum C passed, said Democratic Sen. Bob Hagedorn, chairman of the committee that drafted the ideas. He said he expects only one bill to survive. Hagedorn said the proposals would save money for the state and the insured by reducing the need for emergency room care.
