Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Monday 10 June 2019

California lawmakers agree to

health benefits for immigrants

By ADAM BEAM Trump’s administration. The budget agreement still
Associated Press Democrats in the state must be approved by the
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Legislature reached an full state Legislature. State
— California will become agreement Sunday after- law requires lawmakers to
the first state in the country noon as part of a broader enact a budget by mid-
to pay for some adults liv- plan to spend $213 billion night on June 15. If they
ing in the country illegally of state and federal tax don’t, lawmakers would
to have full health benefits money over the next year. lose their pay.
In this May 9, 2019, file photo, Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures to as the solidly liberal state The agreement means low- The health care propos-
a chart as he discusses his revised state budget during a news continues to distance it- income adults between als are a win for first-term
conference in Sacramento, Calif.
Associated Press self from President Donald the ages of 19 and 25 liv- Democratic Gov. Gavin
ing in California illegally Newsom, who proposed
would be eligible for Cali- both of them. Several law-
fornia’s Medicaid program, makers in the Democratic-
the joint state and federal dominated state legislature
health insurance program wanted to go further by of-
for the poor and disabled. fering health coverage to
Not everyone in that age all adults living in California
group would get the health illegally.
benefits, but only those Newsom did not get ev-
whose incomes are low erything he wanted in the
enough to qualify for the deal. Advocates say more
program. State officials es- than 1 million people in
timate that will be about California don’t have ac-
90,000 people at a cost of cess to safe drinking water.
$98 million per year. Newsom had proposed a
The move is part of a larger 95-cent tax on most resi-
effort to make sure every- dential water bills as well
one in California has health as fees on dairies, animal
insurance. The proposal farms and fertilizer sellers, to
also makes California the help water districts pay for
first state in the country to improvements and boost
help middle income fami- supplies. Lawmakers reject-
lies pay their monthly health ed the tax, arguing it was
insurance premiums. The too burdensome in a year
agreement means a fam- when the state is projected
ily of four earning as much to have a $21.5 billion sur-
as six times the federal pov- plus — the largest in at least
erty level — or more than 20 years.
$150,000 a year — would Instead, lawmakers de-
be eligible to get about cided to use $130 million
$100 a month from the in existing tax revenue to
government to help pay pay for the drinking water
their monthly health insur- improvements. Most of that
ance premiums. money — about $100 mil-
But to pay for part of it, the lion — would come from
state will begin taxing peo- the state’s sale of carbon
ple who don’t have health credits as part of its “cap
insurance. It’s a revival of and trade” program. The
the individual mandate move means the state’s
penalty that had been law agricultural industry, whose
nationwide under former pollution is often blamed
President Barack Obama’s for the drinking water prob-
health care law until Re- lems, would have ab out
publicans in Congress elim- $100 million less than it nor-
inated it as part of the 2017 mally gets from the pro-
overhaul to the tax code. gram for various projects.q