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Oct 3, 2008 11:25 pm US/Central

In The Know: Paul Wellstone's Legacy

Reporting
Don Shelby
(WCCO) As WCCO-TV has reported, Congress voted Friday to approve a financial rescue plan for our suffering economy. Only one member of the Minnesota Congressional delegation switched his vote to "yes." Don Shelby says we owe Jim Ramstad thanks, and it has nothing to do with Wall Street.

You know who else is thanking Jim Ramstad Friday night? Paul Wellstone.

You see, tacked on to the Financial Rescue plan was a mental health bill saying insurance companies must stop discriminating against people with mental illness and chemical dependency in their coverage.

Paul Wellstone brought this idea of fairness to the Senate, and passed the 1996 parity law, but insurance companies found their ways around it.

Over at the House, the champion of that notion of fairness was Congressman Jim Ramstad of Minnesota. He worked for 12 years to get his colleagues to embrace the idea that mental illness and chemical dependency be covered in the same way any other illness.

It was Paul Wellstone's brainchild. Paul's son, David, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to see his father's work completed. He rested a great deal of that weight on the broad shoulders of Jim Ramstad.

I wondered aloud Thursday night whether members of Congress would vote their consciences. Tonight, I know at least one of them did.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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