A call to pull the plug, on Healthy Wisconsin, as Democrats on the panel charged with negotiating a state budget are told to take universal health care off the table. The centerpiece of the budget from Senate Democrats, Healthy Wisconsin is the biggest roadblock to resolving the budget deadlock, according to Senate Minority Leader, Scott Fitzgerald. “If your caucus needs to save face, and have the governor quietly kill this . . . than do it,” said Fitzgerald. Governor Jim Doyle has not been supportive of the plan, favoring his own BadgerCare Plus initiative, but Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson is sticking with the Democrats' plan. “Our families and our businesses are in crisis, and we've got to address the increased costs in health care,” said Robson. She also charged GOP members on the budget conference committee with making Healthy Wisconsin “the bogeyman,” which blocks progress on other areas in the budget. Wednesday's meeting of the budget panel ended with no breakthroughs.
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