“Despite last year’s battle with state lawmakers over health insurance for legal immigrants, Governor Deval Patrick is calling for a 25 percent funding increase for the program, a total of $75 million, in his new budget proposal. Patrick, who has been a staunch advocate for the funding, said he is committed to the initiative for the group of 26,000 ‘hardworking, taxpaying’ residents. Massachusetts does not receive federal reimbursement for the immigrants’ coverage, as it does for other healthcare programs. ‘We worked out a pretty good solution’ with lawmakers last year, Patrick said, but he acknowledged that the compromise reached after months of prickly negotiations was ‘bare bones, to be sure.’” [editor’s note: “Bare bones” and “Taxachusetts” in the same sentence? Gimme a break! - SAT] (01/28/10)