State Sen. Ricardo Lara, chairman of the state’s Latino Legislative Caucus, proposed legislation Friday that would expand health coverage for undocumented immigrants, who were specifically excluded from the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Lara, a Democrat who represents part of Long Beach, said immigration status shouldn’t bar people from coverage, especially since their taxes contribute to the growth of the economy.
“We’ve made enormous strides to reduce California’s uninsured population with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, but we won’t have a truly healthy state until everyone has access to quality, affordable coverage,” Lara said in a statement.
Lara’s legislation is supported by Xavier Morales, executive director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, among other groups.
“This vision is transformational,” Morales said. “Many who today are not eligible for coverage contribute greatly to the success of California’s world class economy through their labor across all of our industrial sectors.”
