CPA News August 2002
YOU'RE INVITED...
November 23-24, 2002 - CPA's Summit on the States, Washington, DC - Capital Hilton Come to CPA's 2002 Summit on the States at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC, to hear about the most innovative model policies for education, health care, jobs, and more--prior to the opening of the 2003 legislative sessions. The Summit will also provide substantive policy skill sessions featuring diverse, expert panelists, and plenty of training and networking opportunities. For more information, visit CPA's website or contact Kirsten Lindquist at (202) 956-5134. Register now!
PROGRESS ON POLICY...
New Momentum for Death Penalty Reform - The political tide is turning on the use of the death penalty in this country, evidenced by three major developments. In May, MD Gov. Parris Glendening declared a two-year moratorium on the use of the death penalty in his state. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling barring the execution of the mentally retarded, and another ruling requiring that only a jury, not a judge, can impose capital punishment. Most recently, PA enacted a law in July giving inmates the right to request DNA testing. To read more about these developments, public support for death penalty reform, and model legislative policies to help ensure fair sentencing practices, read CPA's Alternatives article here.
California Enacts Landmark Law to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions - On July 22, Gov. Gray Davis signed a historic law, sponsored by Assemblymember Fran Pavley, requiring that greenhouse gas emissions from all passenger vehicles sold in California be dramatically reduced by model year 2009. Because California accounts for 10 percent of new auto sales, manufacturers will most likely be forced to reduce auto emissions for their entire fleets of passenger vehicles. With federal progress on fuel efficiency stalled, this could be the most significant victory for clean air for years to come.
AFL-CIO Launches "No More Business as Usual" Campaign - AFL-CIO President John Sweeney recently announced plans for the organized labor community to publicly link corporate criminals with their congressional compatriots in preparation for fall campaigns and an Oct. 19 national day of action to mobilize voters. The AFL-CIO is leading the corporate accountability movement to demand that Congress write new corporate governance standards into law, enact pension reforms and put workers at the front of the line in bankruptcy proceedings. To learn more about the AFL-CIO's "No More Business as Usual" Campaign, visit www.aflcio.org.
ALTERNATIVES AT A GLANCE ...
2002 Progressive Victories Across the States - From Hawaii to Maine, state leaders have been successful in enacting significant progressive, proactive reforms in 2002. The current edition of Alternatives highlights notable legislative achievements in state capitals across the nation. Read more...
Progressives Eye Ballot Initiatives to Advance Their Agenda - This year, there will be nearly as many progressive initiatives as conservative proposals qualifying for state ballots. Frustrated by the legislative process, legislators and advocates are finding success in advancing progressive policy through their public campaigns to place statutes or constitutional amendments on the ballot for a vote. Read more...
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH...www.kff.org
If you're interested in health issues, you should bookmark the website of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The site offers facts, analysis, and explanations of health policy issues, including almost everything you would want to know about the uninsured, Medicare, Medicaid, minority health, HIV, and women's health policy. Especially useful are the site's extensive daily health and reproductive health reports that offer the latest news and analysis on state and federal health policy. Visitors can elect to receive customized email messages to learn when new information is posted and can subscribe to the Kaiser Weekly Update email newsletter, which offers summaries and links to reports, surveys, issue papers, charts and fact sheets released that week.
YOU SHOULD KNOW...
Stateline.org Profiles Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute - Stateline.org recently profiled CPA's flagship leadership institute in the article, State Lawmakers Get How-To Advice. Flemming Alumni and members of the 2002 class were interviewed for the article which offered a complimentary synopsis of the unique values-based leadership training. The Institute is currently accepting applications for the 2003 class. For more information, contact Carolina Zumaran-Jones at (202) 956-5155 or czjones@cfpa.org.
CPA Convenes Members of the Eleanor Roosevelt Global Leadership Institute - July 19-22, Tarrytown, NY - The Institute, which provides international experience to senior-level legislators, recently organized the first retreat for the members of its 2002 class. The Retreat brought experts on foreign policy and trade to discuss a wide-range of global issues and help prepare the Roosevelt Fellows for their international retreat to Chile this fall. The Institute is currently accepting applications for the 2003 class. For more information, contact Carolina Zumaran-Jones at (202) 956-5155 or czjones@cfpa.org.
Spotlight on SIF at NCSL Annual Meeting - July 23-27, Denver, CO -CPA staff landed in Denver in July to attend NCSL's annual meeting. Progressive organizations that are members of the State Issues Forum (SIF) organized three panel sessions for the conference. SIF members introduced themselves to the 1000+ attendees by way of a special giveaway for attendees who visited the booths of SIF: a chance to win a pair of American Airline tickets. The winner was announced during an evening reception hosted by NEA, AFT, and CPA in honor of Oklahoma Sen. Angela Munson, NCSL's incoming President.
CPA Southeast Regional Conference- August 2-3, Tunica, MS - CPA held a special conference for state legislators, grassroots leaders, and state policy organizations in the Southeast 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 networking opportunities were plentiful as one legislator noted, " l learned about new groups that are working in my state that I can partner with." Another participant, who plans to "bring back many ideas for use in my state," summed up her experience as "a fantastic chance to learn from others."
