Republican House members have introduced legislation that would prohibit creation of a health insurance exchange as proscribed by the 2010 federal health care overhaul. Rep. Doug Wardlow, R-Eagan, is the chief author of the bill. Eight other Republican legislators are co-sponsors.

Department of Human Services officials under former Gov. Tim Pawlenty had previously said the expansion would take 10 months to implement.

The expansion was something Dayton said would be among his first official acts as governor. Republicans criticized the move as constitutionally questionable.

In an interview with the St. Cloud Times, the Anoka Republican rebuked MMB's budget math on the proposed Medical Assistance expansion.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty took legal action on Thursday and joined 20 other states in protesting President Barack Obama’s federal health care law.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's consistent opposition to a new federal requirement that Americans purchase health insurance could bolster his national political ambitions, suggests a recent post on the National Journal's Hotline blog. Such mandates have become a touchstone issue since the passage of the national health care package, with Republicans across the country arguing that they're unconstitutional.

The 2,400 page federal health care bill will likely take state budget officials months to parse thoroughly. Nobody knows at this point exactly how much money will will ultimately trickle down to Minnesota's coffers. But it seems highly likely that additional potential revenue streams will be discovered as the legislation is reviewed.

The House is expected to take up General Assistance Medical Care legislation when it convenes this afternoon. Legislators from both parties reached an agreement with Gov. Tim Pawlenty earlier this month to salvage the program, which provides medical coverage for poor, single adults. The Senate subsequently passed the legislation with broad bi-partisan support.

It will be some time before anyone at the Capitol complex can claim an authoritative grasp of what the new federal laws mean for Minnesota's near- and long-term general fund budget troubles. But in the meantime, legislative fiscal analysts suggest the truth is different from the early claims of both Democrats and Republicans.