HARRISBURG -- When Gov. Ed Rendell travels around the state on business, he usually takes one of the state's airplanes. But next week he's going by bus, as he increases the heat on state legislators to approve a proposed health insurance extension plan called Cover All Pennsylvanians.

He'll start out Tuesday with two stops, in Punxsutawney at noon and then in Pittsburgh, at the Hill House, 1835 Centre Ave., at 6 p.m. On Wednesday he heads to Warren and then Erie; then Thursday, at State College and Johnstown; on Friday he goes to Scranton and Wilkes-Barre; and he ends up on Saturday in Allentown.

Mr. Rendell said he wants to provide health coverage to the 800,000 state residents who don't have it. One of the controversial parts of funding his plan is to impose a 3 percent payroll tax on businesses that don't offer their employees health insurance. He said that both the company and the employees can buy into his plan at relatively low rates and avoid the payroll tax. But legislative Republicans are fighting him about it, so he's going around them directly to citizens.