Via a single story in from the Montana Missoulian*, we learn:

Still alive is an amendment from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that allows states to ask for a waiver from the federal government to create their own universal coverage plan for their citizens.

The Wyden amendment is in the bill sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. Senate Democratic leaders are working to meld parts of the Baucus bill with another health reform bill to create one bill that will come to the floor for debate, before the end of the year.

Wyden staffers say the amendment might allow states to propose a single-payer-type plan to cover their citizens. The action could come from the Legislature or ballot initiatives, they said.

However, single-payer advocates say it doesn't appear to give states full authority to implement such a plan, even if citizens wanted it. They say Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent, may offer an amendment giving states that authority.

Baucus, who has never supported a single-payer plan and didn't allow its consideration in the Senate, has indicated he supports the Wyden amendment.

Sanders in 2012!

NOTE * You see what state-level efforts do? Via Google, you get a national story. Which is important on single payer, since our famously free press plus the "progressive" access bloggers have deep-sixed the effort for a bill whose only redeeming feature is that they could claim credit for helping to pass it, along with Big Pharma and the insurance companies.