Universal health care bill fails to pass in California

A bill that would have created the nation's only universal health care system has failed to pass the California Legislature

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California Democrats on Monday failed to gather enough support to advance a government-funded universal health care system, succumbing to intense pressure from business groups and the insurance industry in an election year.

The bill had to pass by midnight on Monday to have a chance at becoming law this year. But it never came up for a vote after its Democratic author, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, realized it would not pass.

“It became clear that we did not have the votes necessary for passage, and I decided the best course of action is to not put AB 1400 for a vote today,” Kalra said.

While the measure would have created a universal health care system and set its rules, it did not say how much that system would cost or how the government would pay for it. Democrats had filed another bill that would impose hefty new taxes on businesses and individuals, hoping to separate the two issues.