It was one of the issues that brought people to vote last November.
health care.

Now Senate Democrats in Western Wisconsin are talking about their party's plan for universal health care coverage within the state.

This could very well be one of the most contentious issues in state government history. It's easy to be for health care but paying for universal health care requires a plan.

The healthy Wisconsin plan relies on $15 billion dollars in revenue to pay for the coverage.

Workers would pay a 4% payroll tax. While employers would put in 10.5% percent.

To put this in real dollars, the current monthly estimates of health care cost come to $140 for each person covered and $370 from each employer for that worker.

Deductibles rates are established 300 for an individual, 600 for a family with no cost for children.

First-term Democrats Pat Kreitlow and Kathleen Vinehout made health care corner piece issues during their successful campaigns against incumbents.

Senator Pat Kreitlow says, “What is important here is that, it's what people have talked about and asked for is health care. This way, health care is no longer tied into a job. It is tied into you.”

Senator Kathleen Vinehout says, “You can still have your choice, your plan, but whether you have coverage or not is no longer an issue."

Yet what about the shift from politics to payroll tax to practicality?
Chris Lokken from the State Association of Health Underwriters says he has gone over the numbers.

Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters Chris Lokken says, “Looking at the numbers with that I've talked with other employers about, these look higher than what they are paying right now."

Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, the West Salem Republican, calls the proposal a job killing tax increase to give state government $15.2 billion dollars to fund a politician run health care program.

Even Governor Jim Doyle says his own health care plan is a break from this one.