The governor is set to sign legislation today delaying BadgerCare changes by three months.

The state Senate approves Special Session Assembly Bill 1, which addresses the troubled rollout of the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare. Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) says lawmakers acted in the best interest of Wisconsin citizens and the taxpayers.

President Obama heavily promoted the federal healthcare plan to the American public, but Darling says his widely repeated statements weren’t exactly accurate. “I mean some people have even talked about (accusing Obama of) lying,” she says regarding the promises made about the federal health care law, “but I’m not gonna go there.” Darling explains, “But I think when you promise that if you like your doctor you can keep it; when you promise if you like your plan you can keep it; if you promise that the cost is going to be lower, and none of these three things have turned out, we can’t assume that the federal government is going to be able to produce many of their other promises.”

Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) says Wisconsin has a governor and a GOP majority whose ideology prevents them from doing what is good and right. “Isn’t it sad that in a state like Wisconsin, a state with such a proud tradition of caring for its citizens on a bipartisan basis, now has a governor and Republican majority that have so much in common with the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.” Jauch explains, “They don’t have a heart and they seem to be having trouble finding their soul.”

Governor Scott Walker, in a statement, says it is irresponsible to force some Wisconsinites to pay the price for the federal government’s failure. He says this legislation will give Wisconsinites more time to make the necessary changes to be able to access health insurance.

AARP Wisconsin says the group is pleased that the bill allows people in the Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan and BadgerCare Plus to keep their coverage until March 31, but they were disappointed that it delays BadgerCare coverage by three months for about 85,000 low-income childless adults.

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