(St. Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House voted 121-to-12 yesterday for the compromise Democrats worked out with Governor Pawlenty, extending General Assistance Medical Care for low-income Minnesotans beyond April lst. Duluth Democrat Tom Huntley voted for the bill but says it cuts reimbursements to hospitals for indigent care, meaning they'll raise their rates to everyone else. St. Paul Democrat Erin Murphy says it's not all she would have hoped for but is what Murphy calls "a triage program and a bridge to something better" for "people who live in the shadows of our society. Murphy choked back tears when commenting on the agreement. Lawmakers are hoping for new money from the federal health care bill.
