ST. PAUL
Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton says if the Republican-controlled Minnesota Legislature does not enact health-care exchanges, he will take action on his own.
A health care exchange basically is a marketplace where Minnesotans would be able to purchase insurance coverage. It is required by a new federal health-care law.
Republican lawmakers generally do not like the idea, but supporters say the state needs to act or the federal government will set up the exchanges.
"If the Legislature passes on enacting such legislation, which must be bi-partisan, non-ideological and constructive, we will have to utilize the legal executive actions necessary to satisfy the federal law, as has already been done in other states," Dayton said in a letter sent to legislative leaders.
