Proposals focus on health care, college tuition, elder care in State of State address

MADISON — Gov. Jim Doyle proposed new programs to make health care more affordable, put college within reach of middle-class families and help more people stay in their own homes rather than assisted living facilities Tuesday in his annual State of the State address.

Unveiling what he called his “affordability agenda,” Doyle set the stage for his re-election bid this fall with a series of programs. He focused much of his attention on four health care initiatives, including a call to provide health care coverage for every Wisconsin child by next year.

He also urged lawmakers to support his plan to create a new program to make catastrophic health care coverage more affordable.

“Because in Wisconsin, health care should be a birthright and not a ticket to bankruptcy,” said Doyle, a Democrat.

Doyle’s administration estimated the new programs would cost $14.7 million in the current two-year budget that ends June 30, 2007. Doyle officials said that money could be found within existing resources or by making new cuts in state spending.

The price tag will jump to an estimated $63.3 million in the next two-year budget, and Republicans immediately questioned whether the state could afford it with limited state resources.

“We’re worried the only people that can’t afford it are taxpayers,” said Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo.

Doyle opened his annual address by ticking off a list of accomplishments over his first three years in office, from 140,000 more jobs to cuts in state spending and a series of tax breaks — some proposed by Republicans — that he has signed.

But he focused much of the speech on a series of programs he said would make college, health care and even heating bills more affordable.

Proposals focus on health care, college tuition, elder care in State of State address

MADISON — Gov. Jim Doyle proposed new programs to make health care more affordable, put college within reach of middle-class families and help more people stay in their own homes rather than assisted living facilities Tuesday in his annual State of the State address.

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Text of the governor’s State of the State address

Associated Press

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