The
Legislature passed a major piece of the federal Affordable Care Act on
Saturday, opting to expand Medicaid to 1.4 million low-income
Californians, as it rushed to meet its deadline to complete a state
budget.
The
action came a day after lawmakers passed the main budget bill outlining
a $96.3 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that starts in July.
Saturday's
votes were on a handful of targeted bills. They included ones that
would provide college scholarships for middle class families, increase
grants for those in the welfare-to-work program, restore dental care for
low-income adults, distribute money for school energy projects and
strengthen oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission.
The
centerpiece legislation was the expansion of Medicaid, which is called
Medi-Cal in California. Broadening the entitlement program to reduce the
number of uninsured people in the country is one of the cornerstones of
President Barack Obama's national health care reforms.
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