Branstad told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday that, "Everybody ought to have some skin in the game and ought to pay something toward health insurance."

Iowa legislators and most state employees don't share the cost of the insurance premiums.

Officials calculate that Branstad's initiative could save the state almost $111 million a year.

State union leaders have said that not having to pay health care premiums is the employees' trade-off for the lower pay in government jobs.

...