CPA News July 2002
UPCOMING EVENTS ...
July 23-27, 2002 - NCSL Annual Meeting - Denver Convention Center - CPA staff are heading to Colorado for NCSL's annual meeting. If you're planning to attend, please be sure to stop by our booth (#348) in the exhibition hall. Progressive organizations that are members of the State Issues Forum (SIF) are planning three panel sessions on Tuesday, July 23 - Wednesday, July 24, and NEA, AFT, and CPA are hosting an evening reception on Friday, July 26. To learn more about the State Issues Forum and SIF-sponsored activities at NCSL's meeting, visit SIF's new website here.
2002 Regional Conferences - Register now! CPA has 2 more regional conferences planned for this summer. Hundreds of legislators and community activists gathered for last year's events. This year, participants will examine the 2002 legislative session and will discuss such topics as unemployment insurance, voting reform and prescription drugs. Click on the event names below for more information or to register online!
Southeast Regional Conference- August 2-3, Tunica, MS
Midwest Regional Conference- August 16-17, Milwaukee, WI
PROGRESS ON POLICY...
States Boost Unemployment Insurance Benefits in 2002 - Already in 2002, 15 states - AL, CA, GA, HI, MD, MI, MN, NH, NJ, OK, OR, VT, VA, WA, and WI - have broadened their unemployment insurance laws to increase benefit levels, extend the number of weeks benefits are available, or expand the number of workers eligible to collect insurance. To learn more about what states can do in a recession to expand unemployment benefits for workers, visit CPA's website for model legislation and policy summaries here. For a detailed update on state unemployment insurance legislation enacted in 2002, visit the National Employment Law Project's website to view their recently updated "2002 State Legislative Highlights" and attached chart.
Supreme Court Spurs Voucher Legislation - Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that school vouchers do not violate the Constitution's requirement of separation of church and state, lawmakers in eight states - AZ, CA, CO, IN, MN, TX, UT and VA - have announced their intentions to introduce voucher legislation. Now it's time for voucher opponents to devise their own strategy. To learn more about a proactive Wisconsin program that reduces class size and improves student achievement in schools serving low-income communities, click here. To view CPA's policy summary on school vouchers, click here.
PhRMA Attacks States Battling Skyrocketing Rx Prices - On June 28, PhRMA filed a lawsuit to block the recent reforms in FL, MI, and a dozen other states to lower the cost of prescription drugs purchased through Medicaid. Also on June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review PhRMA's challenge of the groundbreaking Maine Rx law, even though two weeks earlier the Bush Administration asked the Court to decline the case. The Maine Rx law directs the state to negotiate lower drug prices for the uninsured. Initially, a federal district court in Maine ruled in favor of PhRMA, but in May 2001 the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston overturned the decision and said the program could go forward.
Clean Elections Systems Proving Popular this Election Cycle - In AZ, a state that recently created a voluntary public financing system, 44% of the current state legislative candidates have announced their participation in clean elections, as have 29 of the 34 declared candidates for statewide office. In ME, a state that recently created a voluntary public financing system, about 55% of the current state legislative candidates have announced their participation in clean elections-a 31% increase compared to 2 years ago. Within the last year, 15 states introduced legislation for clean election systems, according to Public Campaign. Click here to view CPA's clean elections model legislation and policy summary.
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH...
www.naral.org - The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League's (NARAL) website deals with much more than just abortion. It provides a wealth of information on reproductive health issues including family planning, sex education, emergency contraceptives and more. Visitors to the site can access state-by-state laws on reproductive health as well as current and archived state legislation. NARAL has also posted the positions and history of candidates in several key gubernatorial races.
YOU SHOULD KNOW...
Election Reform Conference - June 15, Atlanta, GA - Dēmos and Democracy South organized a conference, co-sponsored by many organizations including CPA, to address voting rights restoration and other election reform issues. CPA Southeast Regional Director Diallo Brooks moderated a panel discussion on the pending federal voting reform legislation and its implications for the states. Panelists included Greg Moore, Executive Director of the NAACP National Voter Fund, Thomas Hicks, Lobbyist/Policy Analyst of Common Cause, Steve Carbo, Director of Democracy Programs for Dēmos, and Steve Hill, West Coast Director of the Center for Voting and Democracy.
New York State AFL-CIO Task Force on Prescription Drugs Public Hearing - June 17, 2002 - Albany, NY - CPA Northeast Director Bettye Jo Pakulis testified at the first public hearing of the New York State AFL-CIO Task Force on Prescription Drugs. Organized to address skyrocketing drug costs, the event was co-chaired by Dennis Hughes, President of the New York State AFL-CIO and Alan Lubin, Vice President of New York State United Teachers. Speakers included Chellie Pingree, former Maine State Senator who sponsored the landmark legislation to lower prescription drug prices in that state, Cheryl Rivers, Executive Director of the Northeast Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, and Carl McCall, candidate for governor of New York.
Youth to Leaders Conference - June 22, Washington, DC - As a member of the Black Youth Vote Advisory Board, CPA State Networks Coordinator Jewel James co-facilitated a workshop on education at the Tavis Smiley Foundation's Youth to Leaders Conference. Approximately 120 students, aged 13-19 from the DC, MD, VA area, participated in the one-day conference held to enhance youth leadership skills and help participants become community advocates and activists. During the education workshop, participants discussed a wide range of policies including testing, vouchers, advanced tracking, and how these issues affect their future career possibilities.
CPA Roundtable on Caregiving Workforce Issues in the States - June 27, Sturbridge, MA - In conjunction with the Northeast Regional Conference, CPA's Work and Family Investment Initiative convened a roundtable on improving the education, training, pay and benefits for professional caregivers who care for children, seniors and the disabled. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities of forging partnerships among the various sectors and strategized on next steps for moving forward toward that goal. For more information about caregiving workforce issues, contact Helen Gonzales at 202-956-5146.
CPA Northeast Regional Conference- June 27-28, Sturbridge, MA - CPA, Dēmos, Common Cause, Northeast Action, and DemocracyWorks held a special conference for state legislators, grassroots leaders, and state policy organizations in the Northeast where participants reviewed the 2002 legislative sessions, discussed innovative policy solutions and shared organizing tactics. Conference workshops focused on issues that will be paramount in the upcoming state legislative sessions, such as the 'leave no child behind' act, prescription drug pricing, and voting reform. The conference also featured a dynamic keynote address from Common Cause President Scott Harshbarger and an informative presentation from pollster David Cantor of Lake, Snell & Perry, on public attitudes toward the state budget crises. The event is best summarized by one participant who commented, "I came here with high expectations and I wasn't disappointed. It was such a great experience to be around people of like mind and who care about real progressive solutions to social problems."
Oxygen "Choose to Lead" Luncheon - July 10, Richmond, VA - CPA is an enthusiastic national partner in Oxygen Media's Choose to Lead campaign, an online, on-air, and grassroots campaign to highlight women's political accomplishments and increase women's representation in elective office. Choose to Lead recently hosted a luncheon featuring CPA Program Initiatives Director Jen Ray and Virginia Del. Viola Baskerville (Flemming Fellow - 1999). In her keynote address, Baskerville emphasized the importance of strengthening women's voices and issues in the policy process, emphasizing the importance of encouraging women to serve in elected political leadership positions and mentoring young women as voters and future leaders.
CPA's Southwest Regional Conference - July 12-13, San Antonio, TX - CPA held a special conference for state legislators, grassroots leaders, and state policy organizations last weekend in San Antonio. At the conference, participants reviewed the 2002 legislative sessions, discussed innovative policy solutions and shared organizing tactics and strategies on issues like unemployment insurance, reproductive health, and education reform. The conference also featured a workshop on the top 10 rules of communications and a dinner for participants on the San Antonio River sponsored by SBC Communications.
