With a federal deadline quickly approaching, Wisconsin state legislators urged Gov. Scott Walker to act on creating a state-based exchange program as required by the president’s health care reform law.

A letter from 37 Democrats asked Walker to schedule a special session of the Legislature devoted to creating state-run health insurance exchanges in which uninsured individuals and businesses could purchase private insurance.

“We ask you once again to call a special session immediately for the purposes of enacting legislation to create a competitive state-based health insurance exchange, including public meetings, bi-partisan participation and stakeholder involvement,” the letter said.

The Affordable Care Act requires states have an online marketplace exchange running by 2014. States can either opt for a state, federal or joint exchange. If a state does not send the federal government a blueprint of its exchanges by Nov. 16, the federal government will play a larger part in establishing the exchanges.

In late June – when the Supreme Court upheld the law on a 5-4 ruling – Walker said Wisconsin would not implement ACA and remained “hopeful” President Barack Obama would not be reelected or the law would be weakened by Congress.

“If there is no political remedy from Washington and the law moves forward, it would require the majority of people in Wisconsin to pay more for less health care,” Walker said in a June statement. “Additionally, it would increase the size and cost of government, decrease the quality of health care and, in our state, reduce access for those truly in need of assistance.”

Wisconsin was among several states that sued the federal government over the law, a move Walker marked as one of his first actions as governor.

Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said there is no reason why the governor should not start work on the exchanges now.

“If we set it up right, [the exchanges] would be cheaper and more efficient,” Risser said. “If we as a state can set it up, there will be less bureaucracy involved and it will be more streamlined.”

Rep. Brett Hulsey, D-Madison, agreed with Risser and said the state “can do better than the federal government” by creating a well thought out plan specific to the state, adding the main goal is to make sure everyone has access to affordable health care.

The letter noted some Republican governors across the country have started working on the exchanges to ensure if the law remains, the state has its own plan in which the federal government is not as involved.

In Wisconsin, Republicans largely believe the state-run exchanges can still work, but the time to make a decision has not been reached yet, according to Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater.

“Until we see where the election falls, it makes no sense to move forward,” Mikalsen said. “Wisconsin has plenty of time to create the exchanges if need be. The feds will allow us to make it work. The president has said he has no intention of blocking states from creating their own exchanges.”