One of the key reasons this is a very exciting year at the Capitol is the very really possibility that legislation will be taken up to establish a state system to ensure that everyone has affordable, quality health care coverage.

Other states have approved laws to ensure health care coverage for everyone and there has been a growing sense in Connecticut that something has to be done, not only for the 400,000 Connecticut residents - mostly working people - who lack health insurance, but also for the majority of people and businesses who are paying rising health insurance costs - while being frustrated by health care rationing imposed by HMOs.

Democrats, Gov. Rell and even insurance companies have all offered various plans with at least the stated the goal of extending health coverage to the uninsured.  That is a good sign that real change is possible.

But only a few of the plans being considered would do something real about the high costs for health insurance paid by currently insured individuals and families and by businesses, as well as HMO-imposed health care rationing.

A lot of work is ahead on this issues, but the possibilities are truly exciting.