Governor Gretchen Whitmer is seeking to codify into state law some provisions of the Affordable Care Act. In a speech Wednesday, Whitmer said some protections in the federal law should be permanently maintained.
“This fall, let’s codify the common sense, cost-saving measures of the ACA, including protections for pre-existing conditions so you can’t be charged more for cancer, diabetes, or being pregnant,” Whitmer said.
Whitmer also called for anyone to be allowed to remain on the insurance plan of their parents through age 26 and a ban on coverage caps. Speaking about reproductive health, she said the state made a lot of progress on protecting abortion rights with a ballot proposal last year.
“But there are still other bad laws that put politically-motived, medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion. This forces patients to drive hundreds of miles for care or mandate that they receive biased, inaccurate information about their health. “
Whitmer said the Legislature should act to repeal more “zombie laws” that limit reproductive freedom. She said as the U.S. Supreme Court works to strip away the rights of Americans, the state should act to protect them.
Also in the address, Whitmer called for fast-tracking utility-scale wind and solar operations by making it a state responsibility, thus removing local roadblocks. She called for legislation requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave and a faster permitting process overall to attract more business to the state. And for democracy, she referenced the 2020 elections and called for more election security to protect voters and their ballots.
Outside of the faster permitting process, there’s likely to be little bipartisan agreement on the governor’s plans.
