Politics

Gov's 'Rewrite To Do Right' Plan Angers Lawmakers

Blagojevich Says He Will 'Improve' Legislation Passed By The General Assembly

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed Wednesday that insurance companies should let young adults remain on their parents' health plans until they're 26 and military veterans should be able to do so until they're 30.

But as CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, it's the governor's method for introducing his proposal that has angered lawmakers.

Sources said the Illinois House was preparing to reject the governor's move, technically called an amendatory veto. The House might vote to override this veto next week.

The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that, no matter how good the governor's goals might be, the state constitution does not give him power to rewrite a bill as radically as he did Wednesday.

At a midday news conference, the governor said, in effect, that his methods are not important and that allowing parents to continue health insurance coverage until their children turn 26 is.

"This rewrite of a bill will expand health care coverage by more than 300,000 people," Blagojevich said. "I'm going to rewrite and do the right thing and this will be the first in a series of 'Rewrite to do Right' bills that I'll pursue in the coming days and weeks."

Blagojevich announced that 'Rewrite to do Right' slogan this week as part of his plan to rewrite 50 bills passed by the Illinois General Assembly, including an ethics bill that would bring his current multi-million dollar fundraising whirlwind to an end.

As passed by the Illinois House and Senate, it would prohibit state contractors from making political contributions to elected state officials. Every other state officeholder – Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White, Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Comptroller Dan Hynes – already has voluntary prohibitions against such contributions.

But the governor said he plans to "improve" that ethics bill with another rewrite via amendatory veto.

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