Montgomery, AL – The General Fund budget approved by the Legislature will expand Alabama's insurance program for children to cover 14,000 more children from working families lacking insurance.
The expansion was allowed by Congress in February when it raised the federal tobacco tax to pay for more children's health insurance. The Legislature provided the matching state money necessary for the expansion last week when it approved a state General Fund budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
Senate budget committee Chairman Roger Bedford pushed for the expansion. The Democrat from Russellville says the Legislature wanted to help more working families without insurance for their children.
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