Time Running Out For California

California's state legislative session is scheduled to end in September, but officials are newhere near reaching an agreement on proposed healthcare reform legislation. According to the Ontario (Calif.) Daily Bulletin, it does not appear likely that California will pass Governor Schwarzenegger's healthcare reform proposal this session as hoped. The key issue which seems to be preventing legislators from enacting this proposal is a fundamental disagreement as to who should be responsible for shouldering the cost of healthcare. Democrats believe that Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal does not do enough to protect consumers from high healthcare costs, while Republicans believe the plan puts too great a burden on businesses and healthcare providers.

However slim, the possibility remains for California to pass healthcare reform legislation. Other states are watching intently to see what they can learn from California's legislature over the next three weeks.