Top GOPer Joins Battle Over Wal-Mart & Health Care

Big news - according to the Associated Press, Idaho's Republican House Speaker Bruce Newcomb is "mulling a proposal that could require businesses to provide employees with insurance, or reimburse Idaho for publicly funded health care costs." His target is Wal-Mart, which regularly pays its workers so badly states are forced to foot the bill for Medicaid for Wal-Mart workers. "Rather than taxpayers subsidizing the wealthiest family in the world, maybe the wealthiest family in the world ought to reimburse Medicaid," Newcomb told the Idaho Statesman.

To have a top Republican now saying what progressives have been saying for years is a tremendous step. The key here will be whether Newcomb's proposal makes sure to hit big-box stores, rather than small businesses, which often operate on very small margins. Wal-Mart is one of the wealthiest companies in the world, and has positively no excuse for paying its workers so poorly.

COMMENTS: Go to Sirota's Working Assets site to comment on this entry