MADISON (WKOW) -- Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisconsin) told reporters he will not comply with further provisions of PPACA until after the November elections.
The Governor made it very clear Thursday morning that he is disappointed with the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling.
"While the court said its legal, that doesn't make it right," said Gov. Walker. "And our hope is between now and November 6th that there will be voters here and across America who see fit to put in candidates for President and Senate and the House that will seek to change that and repeal that mandate upon the American people."
As he holds out hope, the Governor will also hold up plans to implement health insurance exchanges in Wisconsin.
Each state is required to set up and run exchanges, which will bring private insurers together into the same pool to compete for business, while decreasing their amount of risk.
The expected outcome is lower rates for consumers.
"I have legislation, pretty close and ready to go to set up exchanges," said Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton). "We're gonna send a letter to the Governor saying 'please put together a working group.'"
"Why would we wait and have literally a month after the November election?", asked Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison). "If the state does not make progress by the 1st of January, 2013, the federal government is gonna come in and do this for us. That would be a real shame."
But the Governor said that any time and effort put into such plans now could very well be wasted.
"There are timelines all over the place in the federal government dealing with states and there are extensions and provisions given all the time to both state and local governments," said Gov. Walker.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he would never advise the Governor on policy, but believes the law on the matter speaks for itself.
"It has been upheld by the highest court in our land that this law is going to be able to proceed and move forward," said AG Van Hollen. "And as the dictates of that law indicate, the state must do things, the state's going to have to do things under those timelines."
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MADISON (WKOW) -- Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisconsin) told reporters he will not comply with further provisions of PPACA until after the November elections.
Gov. Walker said the legal process was only the first step in defeating the law and now the political process begins.
Gov. Walker said if Mitt Romney defeats President Barack Obama in November, he would expect the entire law to be repealed by Congress.
But, according to the law, states must have a plan in place to implement health care insurance exchanges by Jan. 1, 2013.
Both Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) and Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) said there won't be sufficient time to develop such a plan if the Governor waits until November.
Capitol Bureau Chief Greg Neumann will have live reports on this story on 27 News at 5 and 6.
