BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Governor Kelly Armstrong vetoed a bill Monday impacting health insurance plans for state employees.
It would have expanded benefits for all state employees without a premium increase. Among those changes, all co-pays would have gone toward their out-of-pocket costs.
In his veto letter, Armstrong argues that the current health insurance plan is better than the proposed bill and is a very useful tool for recruitment and retention.
“This new plan … includes mandatory added benefits that will result in increased costs passed on to our public employees as an out-of-pocket expense. Public employees didn’t ask for this,” Armstrong wrote.
Lawmakers will need a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to override. It passed the House in a 55-to-37 vote, and it passed the Senate in a 39-to-8 vote.
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