California Democrats rekindle healthcare fight

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It isn’t often that lawmakers extensively quote exit polls from another state’s election to boost their case for passing a bill, but Democratic state senators did that today in voting to create a universal healthcare system in California. Republican Sen. Sam Aanestad thanked his Democratic colleagues for passing the measure, predicting the measure he opposed would spark a Massachusetts-like voter backlash against the majority party in this year’s California elections.

‘I would love you to pass this bill and keep pressing this bill because that’s going to help get me elected,’ said Aanestad, a Grass Valley oral surgeon who is running for lieutenant governor. The Democrats’ vote, he told them, ‘I predict will put you out of office.’

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said the exit polls from Republican Scott Brown’s upset victory in the Massachusetts Senate race convinced him that voters are angry with a national health plan by Democrats ‘for not going far enough.’

‘The demagoguery needs to be answered,’’ Steinberg angrily responded to the GOP lawmakers. ‘The families in California are getting shafted in the current system,’’ he added.

Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who authored the measure, also cited the exit polls from back East in trying to reassure his colleagues. ‘There is nothing to be afraid of here, folks.’’ Senate Bill 810 would have the state create a nonprofit healthcare system to supplant private insurers and provide coverage for all residents. The 22-14 party-line vote sends the bill to the state Assembly for consideration, but a similar measure was vetoed two years ago by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Leno said his plan would reduce costs by eliminating administrative expenses at private health insurance firms. ‘The costs are rising because there is no containment in our system now,’’ he said.

Republicans including Sen. Tony Strickland of Thousand Oaks ridiculed the idea that costs would come down by putting the state in charge of healthcare. ‘If you want the compassion of the IRS and the efficiency of the DMV running your healthcare, this bill is for you,’’ Strickland said.

-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento