November 9, 2007

Schwarzenegger's phantom-authored health bill

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s health care package has finally been introduced in the Legislature – though it still doesn’t have an author.

On Thursday, the Assembly Rules Committee assigned the Democratic leadership’s new health plan for a hearing next week.

At the same time, the committee referred a second bill, AB 1X 2, to the health committee. The other legislation was simultaneously amended to include the governor’s health proposal, which had yet to make an appearance in print in the Legislature.

But the bill's two previous co-authors – Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata – had their names stricken from the bill.

Thus the bill is in the Legislature -- minus an author.

From there, it gets a bit tricky, as the Assembly requires an elected member, usually the author of a bill, to sign off on any amendments.

But since there is no author, who amended the governor's plan into the legislation?

Núñez, according to the Assembly clerk's office.

Though Schwarzenegger rolled out his health plan in January, he has been unable to find a single lawmaker to sponsor his bill. Democrats have lined up behind the party leadership's plans, and Republicans have ruled out supporting the GOP governor's plan because it includes a tax hike.

Sabrina Lockhart, a spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger, confirmed that the legislative language is the governor's. The bill is scheduled, according to its offical legislative status, to be heard in the Assembly Health Committee next Wednesday, though Lockhart said no decision had been made yet to bring the bill up.

Read the phantom-authored bill here.

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on November 9, 2007 4:00 PM