California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Insurance Initiative Can Get Under Way

A Los Angeles man has received permission to seek signatures to put on the November ballot an initiative to provide basic health care insurance for all Californians. Michael Weinstein of California 2000 needs signatures of 595,485 registered voters by March 23 to qualify for the Nov. 6 ballot, said Secretary of State March Fong Eu. The constitutional amendment would create the California Health Plan Commission to make basic health care insurance available to residents with no other coverage. The measure also would increase the tax on alcohol and would impose a payroll tax on employers who do not provide coverage, employees who do not have it and self-employed people.