The budget conference committee remains split right now on Healthy Wisconsin, a universal health care package the Senate included in it's version of the state budget. Members debated the plan for nearly three hours last week, without reaching a resolution on whether to include the plan in the final version of the budget.
Governor Jim Doyle is not taking sides on the issue either. He says leadership in the Assembly and Senate are going to go through their own negotiations and go where they want to go with the plan.
However, the Governor says his BadgerCare Plus proposal is what's needed right now. He says the entire system doesn't need to be redone. Doyle says his goals for health care in the budget have been pretty straightforward with BadgerCare Plus, which would make sure children have health insurance and provide coverage for low-income residents statewide. The Governor says that's something all lawmakers should be willing to agree on.