North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 33, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Page: 2 of 12
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News
Tuesday, March 23,2010
Scott McBride, Rebecca Hoeffner & Melissa Boughton, News Editors
ntdailynews@gmail.com
ritics remain unhappy with health care reform
Continued from Page 1
Insurance companies will be
forbidden to place lifetime dollar
limits on policies, cancel poli-
cies of patients who become ill,
charge women higher premiums
than men and deny applicants
based on pre-existing medical
conditions.
Parents are now allowed to
keep their children covered
under their health insurance
plan until the age of 26.
"This bill is especially signifi-
cant for people our age because
shortly after it is signed in,
students will be able to remain
on our parents' health care
[insurance] until we are 26,"
said Aaron Kepler, radio, tele-
vision and film junior and
communications director of
North Texas Democrats. "This
of course is minimal compared
to the millions of Americans the
reform will affect."
Trayton Oakes, a political
science junior and chairman of
North Texas College Republicans,
said he "doesn't like the fact that
every man, woman and child
will be required to purchase
[health insurance] whether they
want to or not."
Oakes said the change
allowing many college students
to remain on their parent's
insurance "may be positive for
some period of time."
"I think it may be good for
students, but in the end it
will probably lead to higher
premiums," he said.
Student loan bill
The student aid reform
package was attached to the
Democrats' final amendments
in the health care bill.
Changes that will result from
this addition include an elimi-
nation of a $60 billion program
that supports private student
loans.
Government lending
programs would be students'
only option for education
loans.
Education Secretary Arne
Duncan told The Washington
Post that Sunday's vote is
"a big victory for America's
students."
The student loan bill would
generate $61 billion in savings
over 10 years, according to the
Congressional Budget Office.
Most of those savings, $36
billion, would go to Pell grants
for low-income students. The
House passed a version of the
student loan bill in September,
but Democrats did not have
enough votes to get it approved
in the Senate. The version
approved Sunday is part of a
package with the health care
reform bill.
"I'm disappointed with the
way that it was passed," Oakes
said. "It would be one thing if
states were going to get more
involved on loans in their partic-
ular states because they help
fund universities. When ... the
federal government gets more
involved, it's dangerous because
we don't know how good or bad
this is going to be."
Critics not backing down
As of Monday, Republican
Attorneys General in 12 states
have publicly warned that they
will file lawsuits on behalf of
their respective states, claiming
that the requirement of
Americans purchasing medical
insurance is unconstitutional.
"To protect all Texans'
constitutional rights, preserve
the constitutional frame-
work intended by our nation's
founders and defend our state
from further infringement by
the federal government, the
state of Texas and other states
will legally challenge the federal
health care legislation," Texas
Attorney General Greg Abbott
said in a press release.
Abortion rights advo-
cates, such as the National
Organization for Women,
criticized the bill because no
health plan would be required
to offer coverage for abortion.
Insurers that do cover abor-
tion must require policy-
holders to pay for it separately,
and that money would have to
be kept in a separate account
from taxpayer money. States
could ban abortion coverage
in plans offered through the
exchange. Exceptions would be
made for cases of rape, incest
and danger to the life of the
mother.
"This burdensome, elabo-
rate system must be elimi-
nated," NOW President Terry
O'Neill said in a statement. "It
is there because the Catholic
bishops and extremist abor-
tion-rights opponents know
that it will result in greatly
restricting access to abortion
care, currently one of the most
common medical procedures
for women."
Oakes said that a Democratic
representative was persuaded
to approve the legislation.
"Representative Stupak
wanted to prevent abortion
from being federally funded
and he was persuaded to sign
the bill even though he didn't
How they voted
How the House voted on three
health care overhaul measures:
Democrat Republican
Needed to pass: 216 votes
Procedural vote
Rules of the debate
224 H
omM
224 ■
224
YES NO
Not voting: 1
| 28
178
i
206
Senate health care bill
Passed by the Senate Dec. 24
YES NO
219 ■
219 ■
Reconciliation bill
House fixes to Senate bill
34
178
i
212
YES NO
220 ■
220 ■
33
178
i
211
Source: U.S. Congress
Graphic: Judy TreiNe, Lee Hulteng © 2010 MCT
like it," Oakes said.
Elizabeth Oldmixon of
the political science faculty
member said she was "struck"
by the partisan nature of the
outcome.
"The Republicans voted 'no'
and most of the Democrats
voted 'yes,'" she said. "In
most legislatures, this is the
norm."
Oldmixon said the party's
clear representation to the
public will make it easier to
vote and "who you can hold
accountable and who you can
reward at election time."
Police Blotter
Friday, March 19
A minor traffic accident
occurred at 2:48 a.m. at 900
S. Welch St. A UNT officer
arrested the driver, a 21-
year-old man, on suspicion
of intoxication and posses-
sion of marijuana his male
passenger, 20, on suspicion
of intoxication and
possession of alcohol. The
driver was taken to the
Denton County Jail. The
passenger was taken to the
Denton City Jail.
Thursday, March 18
A UNT police officer
arrested a 26-year-old man
at 6:32 a.m. at Lot 25, 601 S.
Ave. C, on suspicion of intox-
ication. He was taken to the
City of Denton Jail.
Wednesday, March 17
Denton Police called for
an officer to an assault that
occurred at 2:02 a.m. at The
Kush, 1302 W. Hickory St.
A UNT police officer
arrested a 24-year-old man,
for disorderly conduct,
resisting arrest and trans-
portation, interference with
an emergency telephone
call, theft over $50 but
under $500, and public
intoxication. He was taken to
the Denton County Jail.
Tuesday, March 16
A student reported that
her cell phone was stolen
from Willis Library at 11:53
a.m. A UNT police officer
responded.
Monday, March 15
A UNT police officer
pulled a 24-year-old man
over at 10:55 a.m. in
the 900 block of Beatty
St. He was wanted by
the Roanoke Police
Department for
speeding and failure
to appear and was
driving under a susp
ended license. He
was arrested and
taken to the Denton County
Jail.
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What's in the bill?
Highlights of the health care overhaul legislation
now being considering in Congress and when
these provisions would take effect:
J S250 rebate to Medicare prescription drug
beneficiaries who reach the coverage gap
called the "doughnut hole"
Within
a year
Provide immediate access to high-risk pools for people
with no insurance because of pre-existing conditions
90 days
after
enactment
Bar insurers from:
• Denying people coverage when they get sick
• Denying coverage to children
with pre-existing conditions
• Imposing lifetime caps on coverage
Require insurers to allow young people to stay on their
parents' policies until they turn 26
Require individual and small group market plans to sent
80 percent of premium dollars on medical services; large
group plans would have to spend at least 85 percent
6 months
after
enactment
Jan.1,
2011
J Increase the Medicare payroll tax and expand to dividend,
interest and other unearned income for singles earning more 2013
than $200,000 and joint filers making more than $250,000
^ Provide subsidies for families earning up to 400 percent
of poverty level, currently about $88,000 a year
Require most employers to provide coverage 2014
or face penalties
Require most people to obtain coverage or face penalties
■J Impose 40% excise tax on high-end insurance policies 2018
■J Expand health insurance coverage to 32 million people 2019
• Savings of nearly S500 billion
in Medicare and other government
health programs by cutting waste,
fraud and abuse and changing
how doctors, hospitals and other
are reimbursed
41 federal
deficit by
71 an estimated Hie **
$143 billion
over 10 years
Source: Speaker of the House, Congressional Budget office. Kaiser Family Foundation
Graphic: Judy Treible, Lee Hulteng © 2010 MCT
"Come November, the bill
might be looking pretty good
and any negative things that
may result from the bill won't
really be happening yet,"
Oldmixon said.
Kepler said he is happy
that he will now have a sense
of security because he was
previously unable to obtain
health insurance because of
the bad job market or "negli-
gent employers."
"It is time we stop worrying
about profits and focus on
people, and this bill shows
that our government feels the
same way," he said.
Prop 8 protesters
must release memos
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Civil
rights groups that campaigned
against California's same-sex
marriage ban must surrender
some of their internal campaign
memos and e-mails to lawyers
for the other side, a federal j udge
ruled Monday
U.S. District Chief Judge
Vaughn Walker said sponsors
of Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot
initiative targeting gay marriage,
were entitled to the informa-
tion as evidence in their defense
against a lawsuit challenging the
ban.
Walker's decision upholds
a previous ruling by a federal
magistrate.
The ruling could delay a
verdict in the trial, the first in
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federal court to examine if the
U.S. Constitution prevents states
from outlawing gay marriages.
The American Civil Liberties
Union and Equality California,
two of the groups that must turn
over the campaign materials,
said Monday they are reviewing
Walker's order to determine
whether to appeal it.
The ACLU and Equality
California, the state's largest gay
rights group, had argued that
the campaign documents being
sought were irrelevant to the
Proposition 8 lawsuit. They also
claimed it was unfair to make
them bear the expense of sifting
through tens of thousands of old
e-mails.
"We do believe this decision is
incorrrect," said Geoffrey Kors,
Equality California's executive
director. "A core issue in the case
is whether the motivation of those
who put Prop. 8 on the ballot is
animus. Why people opposed
Prop. 8 is not relevant."
In rejecting the groups' argu-
ments, Walker said Magistrate
Joseph Spero took substantial
steps to make the task easier,
including listing specific search
terms for culling relevant mate-
rial from computer files and
limiting the material to docu-
ments dealing with campaign
arguments formulated to fight
the gay marriage ban.
"To the extent the ACLU and
Equality California argue the
magistrate's order imposes an
undue burden on them, they have
failed to substantiate the burden,"
Walker wrote.
The UNT Office of Disability Accommodation announces walk-in
hours for Spring 2010, Drop by with any questions, Wednesdays from
2-4 pm. No appointment necessary.
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North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 33, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 23, 2010, newspaper, March 23, 2010; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145786/m1/2/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.