CPA News May 2003
PROGRESS ON POLICY...
New Jersey, New Mexico Enact Tough Laws Against Predatory Lending On May 1 and April 11 respectively, NJ Gov. McGreevey and NM Gov. Richardson signed two of the toughest anti-predatory lending laws in America. The new laws prohibit the charging of excess fees in all home loans, and specifically prohibit a range of practices in the sale of high-interest home loans. This year, Arkansas and Kentucky also enacted more limited restrictions on predatory lending practices. To view CPA's Predatory Lending policy summary, model legislation and related resources, click here.
Hawaii, New Mexico Pass Bills Providing Women with Access to Emergency Contraception On March 28, NM Gov. Richardson signed the "Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Care Act" into law, mandating that hospitals provide rape survivors with information about, and access to, emergency contraceptives. The measure was sponsored by NM Rep. Mimi Stewart (Flemming Fellow-96), who based her legislation on CPA's model bill. Also this month, the Hawaii legislature passed two bills providing more access to emergency contraception. One bill is similar to New Mexico's and the other allows pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception without a prescription, based on approved medical protocols. Both await the Governor's signature. To view CPA's Emergency Contraception policy summaries, model legislation and related resources, click here.
Arkansas, Illinois & Montana Pass Anti-Racial Profiling Bills On April 10, Gov. Huckabee signed into law a bill to prohibit racial profiling. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Hank Wilkins, also provides a review process for investigating allegations of racial profiling and requires law enforcement officials to attend annual training sessions. On April 14, MT Gov. Martz signed an act, sponsored by MT Rep. Frank Smith (Flemming Fellow-03), to prohibit racial profiling and create a procedure to handle complaints. Similarly, last week the Illinois Legislature passed Rep. Monique Davis' racial profiling bill, which Gov. Blagojevich is expected to sign. The bill would implement a 4-year study to monitor the races and ethnicities of drivers stopped by police and require training for both police and probation officers. To view CPA's Racial Profiling policy summary, model legislation and related resources, click here.
Montana Enacts Innovative Prescription Drug Discount Program On May 1, MT Gov. Martz signed into law SB 473, which implements the "Healthy Montana" prescription drug discount program. Sponsored by Sen. Jim Elliott (Flemming Fellow-02, Roosevelt Fellow-03), this legislation will provide discounts of 25% or more to lower-income uninsured seniors, and it will cost the state only $35,500 in start-up funds. The law is modeled after the "Healthy Maine" program that provided discounts to residents of Maine for 18 months. Because the Maine program was struck down on a procedural technicality by a federal court, Elliott worked with officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to structure his bill so that it will be approved by both the Bush Administration and the courts. Click here to download a state-by-state summary of 2003 legislative activity on prescription drug prices (PDF).
CPA LEGISLATOR OF THE MONTH...WASHINGTON REP. RUTH KAGI
Washington Representative Ruth Kagi used a proactive strategy to win bipartisan support for a law that strengthens crime prevention by diverting first-time drug offenders into substance abuse treatment programs. Read more...
YOU SHOULD KNOW...
CPA Work on Prescription Drugs Featured in New Book, Recent NPR & New York Times Stories CPA is highlighted in The Big Fix, a new book by Katharine Greider that exposes how pharmaceutical manufacturers limit competition, influence physicians, buy political power and use other tactics to protect and grow their profits. Quoting CPA Policy Director Bernie Horn, Greider discusses CPA's work exposing the phony citizen front groups the drug companies create to help defeat meaningful prescription drug legislation in the states. In recent weeks, Horn was also quoted in an April 29 National Public Radio story,"States and Drug Costs," and an April 23 New York Times article, "Drug Makers Expand Their Medicaid Role."
CPA Policy Director to Speak on Panel on States & Tax Cuts - Take Back America Conference - June 6, Washington, DC CPA Policy Director Bernie Horn will be part of a panel discussion on "State Responses to the Right's Radical Tax Cutting Agenda" at the Take Back America Conference, sponsored by the Campaign for America's Future. Horn, who will provide an overview of state responses to the fiscal crises, will be joined on the panel by MD Rep. Ana Sol Gutierrez and MO Rep. John Hickey. Other Conference speakers include John Sweeney, Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Julian Bond, Gerald McEntee, Kim Gandy, U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine, and Arianna Huffington. For more information about the Conference, or to register, click here.
CPA Policy Director Critiques Drug Industry at Disease Management Summit - May 12 - Baltimore, MD Policy Director Bernie Horn recently addressed the Third National Disease Management Summit, a conference of healthcare professionals who provide proactive services to chronically ill patients. He was part of a panel on "State Approaches to Disease Management," and he focused his remarks on disease management programs sponsored by prescription drug manufacturers.
Support Progressive Policy? Support CPA! Help CPA continue its work advancing progressive public policy and supporting progressive state legislators. You can make a tax-deductible, secure donation to the Center for Policy Alternatives via Network for Good - here.
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH...www.reproductiverights.org
Need help understanding the numerous and competing legislative proposals affecting women's reproductive rights? Visit www.reproductiverights.org, the website of the Center for Reproductive Rights, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to promoting and defending women's reproductive rights worldwide (formerly the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy). On the site you can access summaries of existing and proposed laws in every state. You can also find well-crafted background materials, fact sheets, and model legislation on a variety of policies dealing with abortion and contraceptive services.
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September 2002 | October 2002 | November 2002 | December 2002 | January 2003 | February 2003 | March 2003 | April 2003
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