Well, this is “low-hanging” fruit, but it’s still fun to hear the reasoning behind why it’s a good idea to offer free health-care to part-time legislators. A couple years ago, Speaker Murphy–when faced with a bill that would have legislators pay a portion of their health care–tried to say the state Constitution proscribed anything but free health care for legislators. Last year, a similar effort to require some payment

…sailed through the House easily last year, then ran aground in the Senate with Paiva Weed, who has since made the leap from majority leader to Senate president, saying that she believes “that it should be a voluntary decision. It certainly defeats whatever power of example that they are attempting to demonstrate by mandating it, rather than having it be voluntary.”

So…it’s not leadership if you are required to do it? Yeah…who ever heard of leadership by example?! Now, this year, they’re trying again in the House, with two bills, which both call for a percentage co-share. Whatever. How about just killing the whole benefit? I know, I know…as if. But we can dream.