Assemblyman Dan Logue, citing a finding in Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on health care, vowed to begin organizing an initiative drive to keep California from implementing the federal health care reform.
The Marysville Republican objects to the plan, pushed by President Barack Obama, that would require nearly every American to buy health insurance or pay a penalty under a program to be launched in 2014.
Logue contends there is room to kill the program in California because the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the federal government cannot strip states' existing Medicaid funding for opting not to take part in the law's expansion of that program.
Medicaid is a giant federal program that provides health-care assistance to seniors, the poor and people with disabilities. In California, it's called Medi-Cal.
"There's a real good chance that we could put this to a vote of the people," Logue said of implementing Obama's health care plan.
Logue vowed to launch legal research into specifics of a ballot initiative and to talk with potential financial backers.
"We're just starting it up," he said. "But I believe you're going to see thousands of doctors in California step up to the plate and say, 'You know what? I can't stay in the game unless this thing is revoked.' "
Two years ago, Logue helped lead a successful drive that placed a measure on the ballot proposing to suspend a state law requiring major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Proposition 23 was soundly rejected in November 2010.
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