Stevens Point Journal from Stevens Point, Wisconsin • Page A1

FINAL SWIM SPASH girls prep for trip to Madison 1 1B Stttutm JJottrt Journal THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 WWW.STEVENSP0INTJ0URNAL.COM ALMOST DONE City's transit center nears completion 1 3A CITY, COUNTY HOPE TO SPEED COUNTS Obama win forces Walker's hand on health care Governor has eight days to form policy By Scott Bauer The Associated Press MADISON President Barack Oba-ma's re-election has left Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who had stopped all efforts to implement the federal health care reform law in the hopes that Republicans would take over in Washington, in a bad spot. Obama's victory, coupled with the fact that Democrats maintained control of the U.S. Senate, assures that the Affordable Health Care Act will go into effect. Walker's ad ministration and Republican leaders in the state Legislature now are scrambling to figure out their next move.

Wisconsin faces a Nov. 16 deadline to inform the Obama administration whether the state will imple Scott Walker By B.C. Kowalski Journal staff bkowalskigannett.com Stevens Point officials say they're going to consider streamlining the voting process, after a busy and late election night Tuesday. Almost 70 percent of voters turned out in the Portage County on Tuesday, according to clerk Shirley Simonis. The city had 81 percent of its registered voters turn out, and the village of Plover hit 87 The high turnout, combined with high numbers of absentee ballots, early registrations and write-in votes meant results in the city weren't available until early Wednesday morning.

City Clerk John Moe said the city will look at ways it can streamline the process, and plans to bring up the issue at its next clerks association meeting. But most voting rules are set by the state, and it would take change at that level to make much of a difference. "I don't know if there's much we can do," Moe said. "After every big election, people look at what to do to make the system more efficient." One item delaying results was the high number of write-in votes, which clerks have to go back through and tally by hand. For example, the city received 320 write-in votes in the Portage County district attorney race alone.

In addition to in-person voting, poll workers need to process absentee votes on Election Day, and many See COUNTS, Page 8A ment an online health care marketplace, or exchange, or let the federal government do it. Each state's exchange must be operational in 2014 under the health care law. Walker told reporters in Milwaukee on Wednesday that he will be meeting with state officials this week to discuss the next steps. He downplayed the urgency of the situation, saying no matter what the state does, the federal government won't review it for months. Walker has said he doesn't think it would be a problem for the state to get an extension.

"Even after notifying them, we have until next fall to make modifications as we see fit," Walker said. "We haven't made a decision yet." Walker said the choice for his administration was whether to accept an exchange run by the federal government, set up its own or pursue a combination. "The question, from our standpoint, is what option is best for the taxpayers of Wisconsin," Walker said. Walker halted implementation in late 2011, pending the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

When the court found the law's main components constitutional in June, Walker then said he was holding off on implementing the changes until after the election in the hopes that Republicans would win and overturn it. Walker also rejected $38 million in federal money that could have gone toward paying for implementation of the law. Advocates of the law say Tuesday's election results in Wisconsin show there is support for it. Wisconsin voters elected a proponent of the law, Democrat Tammy Baldwin, to the U.S. Senate over Republican Tommy Thompson, who vowed to be the 51st vote to repeal it.

Obama also carried Wisconsin by nearly 7 percentage points. Supporters of the law, who had urged Walker to continue with implementation both before and after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality, renewed that call See WALKER, Page 10A Local Democrats to face challenges at state Capitol By Nathan Vine Journal staff nvinegannett.com After finally declaring her victory in Tuesday's election, state Sen. Julie Lassa said she appreciated the confidence voters in the 24th District placed in her. Lassa, who has served in the Senate since 2003, also thanked her supporters and looked forward to her next two-year term.

"During the upcoming session, I will continue to strive to build a stronger future for all the people of central and western Wisconsin," Lassa said in a Shankland eager to prepare for job in Madison By Nathan Vine Journal staff nvinegannett.com Katrina Shankland said she and other supporters still are running off the excitement from Election Day, even though they've had little time to rest over the past couple of days. Shankland, a Democrat who defeated Republican Patrick Testin in the 71st Assembly District race on Tuesday, said she was up until 3 a.m. waiting for final results in Portage County. She then called her mother Theresa, a teacher in the Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District, who was in Stevens Point See DEMS, Page 8A See 71ST, Page 8A its?" Julie Lassa 24TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT AI46 Portage County precincts reporting Julie Lassa, Scott Noble, 14,372 (38.5) incumbent 71ST STATE ASSEMBLY DISTRICT All 31 Portage County precincts Katrina Shankland, 17,602 (60.9) Patrick Testin, 11,266 (39.0) Wo incumbent Katrina Shankland For more election news, turn to Page 3A for updates on statehouse races in the 72nd Assembly District and the 70th Assembly District. Obituaries2A Raymond Kitowski Evalee Kunkel Robert Veldhoff "4090r52029' Index Business 9A Opinion 7A Classified 3B Records 2A Comicsm 4B Sports 1B GO! 4A Local 3A Weather4B Today: Mostly sunny.

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