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Children’s Health Care Initiative Makes Ballot

By Beacon Staff

HELENA – State Auditor John Morrison says an initiative to provide government-funded health coverage for as many as 30,000 uninsured children will be on the November ballot.

Morrison led the effort to put Initiative 155 before voters this fall.

He says organizers have collected more than enough valid signatures of registered voters to qualify I-155 for the general election ballot.

Morrison says that if voters approve I-155, and the 2009 Legislature implements the expanded health coverage, Montana will become a national leader in covering children who are now without health insurance.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has yet to take a position on I-155, but says he’s already told his budget director to assume it will pass, and put it in the next state budget with an estimated cost of $20 million a year.