California and Georgia Attempting to Mimic Maryland

California is usually the bellweather of liberal wackiness. What gets enacted here often metasticizes across the country. This time California is following Maryland's example as the legislators seek further ways to drive business out of the state (h/t Reader Eric):

Sacramento - State Sen. Carole Migden plans to introduce legislation soon to force large companies such as Wal-Mart to pay more for their employees' health care costs, something that more than two dozen other states also are contemplating.

Migden's bill, which has yet to be written, will be modeled on a Maryland law enacted last month by the Democrat-controlled legislature over the veto of Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

The law -- which is being challenged in court by retailers -- requires companies with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health care. If they devote less to insuring employees, they must pay the difference to the state's Medicaid fund.

In Maryland, only Wal-Mart Stores had enough employees to qualify. But California has 69 companies with more than 10,000 employees, including Macy's, Target and Sears.

Migden, a Democrat from San Francisco, said she decided to introduce the measure after reading about what happened in Maryland.

``Companies shouldn't be able to siphon off profit at the expense of basic coverage for their employees,'' she said.

But critics say the law would not do much to help the more than 6 million Californians who lack health insurance.

``It only makes sense as a foundation that can be built upon,'' said Glen Melnick, a health economist at the University of Southern California.

Maryland has also passed a law demanding that Wal-Mart carry the morning-after abortion pill. Since when, in a free country, did the government have the right to tell a private shopowner what products he must carry? This is a precedent that could lead to all kinds of shenanigans.

Let's say Maryland Democrat Joe Blow goes to Wal-Mart (they may hate them, but you know they shop there) and wants to buy his favorite B&M Baked Beans, but they don't have them and the manager says the store doesn't carry that product. Will there be a bill in the legislature the next day demanding that all grocers carry B&M baked beans? A little farfetched, for sure, but not out of the realm of possibility in today's world.

California's not alone in trying to follow Maryland's bad example. Some Georgia legislators are trying the same thing, but will likely fail given that Republicans pretty much run that state.

Atlanta - Despite long odds, Democrats in the state Legislature are pushing a bill designed to force Wal-Mart to pay more for employee health care.

The bill is patterned on one in Maryland.

Lawmakers filed legislation yesterday that would require all companies with ten-thousand or more workers in Georgia to spend at least eight percent of their payroll on employee medical benefits. Otherwise, the companies would be required to pay the difference to the state -- which funds public health insurance programs.

Sen. Steen Miles -- a Democrat from Decatur -- is sponsoring the bill.

The Fair Share Health Care Act is patterned after a Maryland law that was enacted over the governor's veto and has spawned similar legislative attempts in more than 30 states.

Wal-Mart is the only large company in Maryland known to fall short of the eight percent spending requirement. The retailer based in Bentonville, Arkansas, retailer is Georgia's largest private employer.

Miles says the bill is -- quote -- "NOT about bashing Wal-Mart." Instead, she ways it's about "children, affordable health care and unfair burdens" on taxpayers.

It's always about the children. I'll refer you once again to the good information about the benefits that the low prices at Wal-Mart bring to our economy. Wouldn't it be nice if the Dems read this stuff?