(Mass.) Governor likely to veto health fee

Governor likely to veto health fee

Stance angers top Democrats; override seen

By Frank Phillips and Scott Helman, Globe Staff | April 12, 2006

Governor Mitt Romney is expected to veto a fee of $295 per employee on some firms
that is a key part of the new healthcare bill, angering Democrats he invited
to appear with him this morning for a highly choreographed signing ceremony
at Faneuil Hall.

In an op-ed column published in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, Romney blamed
"my Democratic counterparts" for including what he called an "unnecessary and probably
counterproductive" fee in the healthcare bill. He warned that he would take "corrective
action" to reject the fee and raised a subtle objection to the legislation's expansion
of Medicaid.

The column surprised and angered top Democrats around the state, who said publicly
and privately yesterday that Romney had sprung his objections on them after inviting them
to today's signing ceremony. Beacon Hill officials said Romney is likely to issue his veto
after the ceremony, probably in a letter to lawmakers.

A veto would be easily overridden by the Legislature, because of the large majority
of Democrats. But Democratic leaders were nonetheless upset that Romney and his staff
would not detail his objections fully, leaving them in the position of joining the
celebration without knowing what was coming next.