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Jones: Health-care plan will have to be scaled back

Posted July 19, 2007 11:00 pm

Doug Finke

Illinois Senate President Emil Jones said Thursday that Gov. Rod Blagojevich will have to accept a scaled-back version of his idea to give every Illinoisan access to health care.

In an interview with The (Springfield) State Journal-Register editorial board, Jones, a Chicago Democrat, also said any proposal for an income tax increase will have to have support from Senate Republicans in order to pass.

Jones spoke with the board after a two-hour private meeting with Senate Democrats to review the status of budget negotiations, including Blagojevich's continued insistence on providing universal access to health insurance. The Democrats discussed a scaled-back version of the multibillion-dollar plan that would not start until June 2008 and be funded only with a tax on employers who do not offer health coverage to their employees or only minimal coverage.

The governor had proposed a new tax on business's gross receipts to pay for his plan, but that proposal has drawn virtually no legislative support.

"I have not seen all of the particulars," Jones said of the compromise proposal. "Based on what I've been briefed, it goes a long ways towards having more support (in the Senate)."

And, Jones said, Blagojevich should be prepared to accept a more modest health-care plan.

"The governor has been advised by many of his supporters that he should scale it back," Jones said. "I think the scaled-back version is something he would have to accept."

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said the administration is working on a revised plan, but offered no details.

"We have been working with members on a plan that we can get done," Ottenhoff said. "There's some flexibility on implementation dates and how it is phased in. Our goal is still the same, and we are working on a plan to get it done."

A bill to implement Blagojevich's original health insurance proposal languished in the Senate, even before the overtime session and super-majority required to pass it. Most members of both the House and Senate have said increasing funding for education is a higher priority than launching the governor's health plan.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, broached the idea of an income tax increase, even though Blagojevich has said he will veto any increase in the income or state sales tax. On Thursday, Jones said he isn't sure how the Senate would vote if the House approved an income tax hike.

"We haven't done any real polling on that issue," said Jones, who personally is for an income tax increase. "It would take (Republican) support to get that passed."

But Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, said later: "I don't think there's any support (among Republicans) for an income tax increase."

Jones reiterated that a deal is near on a plan to offer electric rate relief to customers of Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison. However, he said the bill providing that relief won't be ready for lawmakers until at least next week.

Blagojevich and the four legislative leaders did not get together for a budget meeting Thursday. Ottenhoff said small groups of lawmakers were meeting to discuss specific budget topics. The governor and leaders will meet today (Friday) to get a report from those meetings, she said.

As the overtime session creeps within a week of the record set in 2004, when the General Assembly ran 54 days past its May 31 deadline, Blagojevich and the four leaders have met only once in the last six days.

The one-month budget passed to prevent a government shutdown expires July 31.

Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527 or doug.finke@sj-r.com.

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