Why California’s Single-Payer Proposal Was Doomed To Fail
The bill was more a reflection of ideological wishes than reality, and thus never stood a strong chance of passing.
Sacramento Bee:
Why Universal Health Care Died In California
The authors of Senate Bill 562, Democrats Ricardo Lara and Toni Atkins, didn’t include a way to pay for the far-reaching legislation, which was estimated to cost $400 billion to start... So when Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a policy wonk who says he supports universal health care, announced late Friday he was holding the bill in committee, he merely expedited the inevitable. (Cadelago and Luna, 6/27)
Los Angeles Times:
California Assembly Leader Anthony Rendon's Decision To Shelve Single-Payer Healthcare Angers Progressive Activists
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s abrupt decision Friday to sideline a bill that would have established single-payer healthcare in California roused a swift and fiery backlash from the measure’s supporters, who accused the Democrat from Paramount of unilaterally blunting the effort for sweeping overhaul of the state’s healthcare system... But the move to shelve the bill — and the ensuing fury — led other powerful Democrats, including Gov. Jerry Brown and leaders of Planned Parenthood of California and major labor unions, to applaud Rendon for slowing down a measure that was long on enthusiastic supporters but short on key policy specifics — most significantly, how to pay for it. (Mason, 6/26)
KQED:
California Dems Continue Single-Payer Blame Game
The California Nurses Association lashed out at Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, who announced on Friday that the single-payer legislation would not advance in the Assembly in 2017. Rendon hit back on Monday, criticizing the legislation that passed the Senate earlier this month. (Marzorati, 6/26)