California Gov. Davis Vetoes Two Bills to Expand Health Care Access, Citing Budget Concerns

Citing concerns about the state's "tottering economy," California Gov. Gray Davis (D) on Oct. 9 vetoed two bills that would have "made health care more accessible" to low-income residents, the Sacramento Bee reports. The first measure (SB 833), sponsored by state Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D), would have streamlined the eligibility process for Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, by applying the same rules to single-parent and two-parent families. Ortiz said the bill would have reduced the state's 6.8 million uninsured population, the Bee reports. The bill's estimated cost was $1 million per year. In his veto message, Davis said that his administration has "worked hard" to increase health coverage, but added that the state's budget shortfall means he cannot "justify additional spending" to increase health coverage. The second vetoed bill (SB 1041), also sponsored by Ortiz, would have provided funding for the Donated Dental Services program, a free dental program for the elderly and people with disabilities run by the Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped and the California Dental Association. That measure would have cost the state $125,000 per year in administrative costs. Davis again cited the state's money problems in his veto message for the bill. The Bee reports that "money is tight" in California, where revenues are $1.1 billion below the amount anticipated for this year. Beth Capell, spokesperson for Health Access, which represents 200 consumer and community groups lobbying for increased health access, said, "We're very discouraged that the budget downturn has caused (the governor) to veto these bills." She added that the economic slowdown will likely increase the number of the uninsured (Bazar, Sacramento Bee, 10/10). For further information on state health policy in California, visit State Health Facts Online.