Governor Bob Holden is calling for a constitutional amendment to protect access to quality health care for thousands of children he says would lose their coverage under a proposal before the Legislature. The Governor is at odds with proposals by House Republicans over plans for the MC-plus for Kids program, which provides coverage 80,000 children. He says the House proposal would cut 20,000 children from the program. Holden says his constitutional amendment would guarantee coverage. He says the legislative proposal would tie state health coverage for poor children to the amount of state revenue available in any given year, adding that would balance the budget on the backs of the poor. Holden says if his amendment proposal passed the Legislature it could be on the November ballot.
