CPA News         October 2002

YOU'RE INVITED...

November 23-24, 2002 - CPA's Summit on the States, Washington, DC - Capital Hilton Discuss the impact of the 2002 elections and prepare for the 2003 legislative sessions at CPA's Summit on the States. Workshop topics include: Fiscal Crisis in the States, Education Reform, Prescription Drugs, Corporate Accountability, Reproductive Health, Drug Treatment instead of Incarceration, Death Penalty, and much more! For more information, visit CPA's website or contact Quinta Martin at (202) 956-5132. Reserve your hotel room before October 31 to receive a special conference rate! Register now!

CPA's 2002 Awards Dinner - Friday, November 22, Omni-Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC Please join us on this special evening to pay tribute to outstanding progressive leaders. At this year's Awards Dinner, CPA will honor AFSCME International President Gerald McEntee, Fannie Mae Foundation President and CEO Stacey H. Davis, Washington State Representative Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney, and Kate Kahan, Executive Director of Working for Equality and Economic Liberation. For more details, or to purchase tickets, please click here or contact Chris Rutledge at (202) 956-5151.

PROGRESS ON POLICY...

California Enacts Gun Safety Laws Including Provision Allowing Victims to Sue Manufacturers - On September 25, California became the first state to repeal special immunity for gunmakers when Gov. Gray Davis signed two measures allowing firearm manufacturers to be held liable for harm their products cause. The laws revoke a shield created for the gun industry by the legislature in 1983. Davis also signed legislation to strengthen bans on 'Saturday Night Specials,' provide cities with data for gun lawsuits, prohibit sales of non-certified gun safety locks, and expand oversight on gun dealer transactions. Click here to view CPA's related policy summary on the trend of gun lawsuit preemption in the states, and here for CPA's model gun safety legislation.

North Carolina Legislature Adopts Nation's First Clean Elections Law for Judicial Candidates - The Judicial Campaign Reform Act, a groundbreaking model giving high-level judicial candidates the option of full public financing, was approved last week by the North Carolina legislature. Like the Arizona and Maine laws for legislative candidates, this law provides public funding for candidates who raise qualifying contributions and agree to strict fundraising and campaign spending limits, and also provides additional funds if a non-participating candidate or independent group tries to outspend participants. The North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections coalition played an important role in the two-year legislative fight to pass the bill, expected to be signed into law shortly.

Toughest State Anti-Predatory Lending Law Goes into Effect in Georgia - The most far-reaching law enacted to curb the practice of abusive subprime lending and protect the rights of consumers went into effect in Georgia on October 1. Thanks to the work of Sen. Vincent Fort who passed the Georgia Fair Lending Act this spring after a tough two-year battle, lenders who provide higher-interest loans or charge higher fees will face new scrutiny and penalties for abuse. Click here to view CPA's predatory lending model legislation and policy summary.

Workers Compensation Laws Strengthened in Florida & California - Two recent enactments in Florida and California address flaws in the Workers' Compensation system. In Florida, a new law has taken effect requiring any contractor working on a commercial project valued at $250,000 or more to carry workers' comp coverage. Many Florida contractors avoided buying workers' comp insurance by reporting they had two employees or less - and classifying the rest of their employees as "independent contractors" or temps. In California, Gov. Davis signed a new law that sets workers' comp premiums at the rate of the jobsite employer. This closes the loophole that allowed temp agencies to help contractors "game the system."

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH...www.deathpenaltyinfo.org

Anyone interested in promoting death penalty reform should bookmark the Death Penalty Information Center website, which offers extensive analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment. Updated daily, the site provides the latest proposals and changes to state and federal law, news articles, poll findings, reports, and resources on the death penalty. The site also provides helpful resources for those looking for statistics and specific data on women, juveniles, and race. A portion of the site is also available in Spanish.

YOU SHOULD KNOW...

NELP's Unemployment Insurance Safety Net Conference - November 22-23, Holiday Inn on the Hill, Washington, DC - The National Employment Law Project (NELP) is hosting a conference on unemployment insurance (UI) including planning successful state UI campaigns, building diverse coalitions, and moving public opinion to generate support for stronger UI programs. For complete conference details or to register, visit NELP's website, or call 301-577-6940.

Federal Funds Available for State Health Insurance High Risk Pools - Thanks to new federal funding, some uninsured residents will have access to coverage through state high risk pools. People who have difficulty purchasing adequate health insurance coverage in the private market, or who are denied coverage due to a pre-existing health condition, are eligible to apply. The new federal funds will provide states with up to $1 million in FY 2003 for start-up costs and another $40 million is available in FY 2003 and 2004 for matching funds to support operation of new and existing pools that meet certain requirements. The $40 million will be distributed based on the number of uninsured in a state. For more information, contact Kathleen Stoll at Families USA at 202-628-3030.

SCEWL Fall Convening - Santa Monica, CA, September 23 - At the fall convening of the Symposium for California's Emerging Women Leaders (SCEWL), the emerging and established women leaders selected for participation in the 2002 program shared their experiences since they first began the program six months ago, including how the program has helped them achieve successes and deal with challenges. Discussions were also held on how to assess personal values, how to put values into action through advocacy work, and ways to increase the effectiveness of the SCEWL network. Special thanks to Adrienne Hall, President and CEO of The Hall Group and long-time supporter of women leaders in California, who provided valuable insights to SCEWL members during her luncheon remarks.

In Service of the Public Good: Higher Education and Public Policy Leadership Forum - September 23-24, Washington, DC - CPA gathered state legislators and higher education leaders from the Northeast and Southeast to share their perspectives on the relationship between higher education and society, cultivate mutual understandings and develop strategies for their states. The Forum was organized by CPA's Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute in partnership with the Kellogg Forum on Higher Education, the American Council on Education, and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. For more information, contact Maura Hutchens at 202-956-5138.

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