Governor stands by coalition tobacco plan

LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Gov. Mike Huckabee's search for a consensus on spending the state's $1.6 billion tobacco settlement stops at the plan he favors, the governor and his top spokesman said.

Huckabee has said he won't call a special session to adopt a plan for spending the windfall to improve health care until there is broad agreement in advance. Sponsors of alternative proposals said they had taken that to mean consensus on any plan with widespread support.

But the governor, who alone had the authority to call a special legislative session, said Wednesday that he would not consider the alternatives.

"No. I'm supporting a plan that has broad-based support," Huckabee said. "I respect that any plan has to go through the legislative process, but I'm opting for a plan put together by health care professionals and scientists and doctors rather than politicians."

The governor scoffed when asked if he would consider expanding the coalition plan to encompass provisions from either of the other plans.

"Call me when you get to 75 votes for either one of them," he said.

Legislative approval requires 75 votes in the House and 27 in the Senate.

House speaker Bob Johnson said the governor's rigid attitude was unfortunate.

"Saying that negates how government ought to work," said Johnson, who appointed a legislative task force last year which for months discussed financing options and heard from health program providers on how best to spend the tobacco settlement proceeds.

"Those people are reflected in our plan, coupled with the 90-plus members of the body," Johnson said. "We're going to continue the quest to sign members on our plan. I'm working on the premise that if we bring the governor a consensus, he'll call a special session."

The speaker said 40 colleagues had signed onto the House proposal, which he said House leaders would begin promoting to senators next week.

Huckabee spokesman Rex Nelson said the governor and coalition members still were educating groups around the state about the coalition plan but would start polling lawmakers in the next few weeks.

Nelson said the timetable did not preclude the governor from calling an early special session.

"He'll hold one as early as March, he'll hold it as late as Christmas Day if he has to, once he reaches a consensus," Nelson said. He said he meant consensus on the coalition plan.

"That's the plan we've got out there. We don't see any need to change it," he said.

Rep. Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, the leader of a group of conservative lawmakers who want all of the settlement money put in trust, said he could not support the coalition plan and would rather not have a special session than to pass a bad law.

"If that means we don't have a special session, that's OK," said Hendren, whose plan provides for the interest from a tobacco trust to be used for state emergencies and other needs not limited to health care.

"I believe that most good laws go through a process of movement between different ideas. It's a diverse state with a lot of different opinions," he said. "My concern is right now that the coalition plan has had a lot of input from coalition members but not quite enough work by the legislators."

Dozens of health care organizations and providers have pledged support for the coalition plan, which would put about $73 million in trust and allocate annual payments roughly equally between expanding Medicaid, funding medical research and aiding smoking prevention, cessation and health education programs.

The House plan would de-emphasize research and bolster funding for the tobacco trust, Medicaid and assistance to local hospitals and providers.

"This is the policy-making end of the capitol, the House and Senate," Johnson said. "The coalition plan was hatched by a group of unelected career bureaucrats behind closed doors. The House plan was discussed and created in the light of day with ultimate member and community participation."

A fourth settlement proposal, by Associations of Community Organizations for Reform Now and the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, would provide health insurance for the working poor.

The plan also calls for a consortium of states to share research funding and would expand prescription drugs and personal care coverage for up to 100 percent of the poverty level for those 65 and older.