Free Republic

SACRAMENTO — Concerned about threats that include a flu pandemic and bioterrorist attacks, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his support Tuesday for a new state Department of Public Health. The governor is embracing legislation by Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) to establish a California office focused on concerns such as outbreaks of disease and food poisoning, and overseeing care of 100,000 people living in nursing homes. "The governor is focused on getting ahead of the game and being visionary," Margita Thompson, a Schwarzenegger press secretary, said Tuesday. Ortiz's legislation would also restructure California's Department of Health Services, which focuses much of its...