Don't Miss Out

CPA's Summit on the States: Values and Vision for America, Dec. 8-10

The 10th Annual Summit on the States will be held December 8-10 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. During the Summit, five outstanding leaders of the political and civil community will be honored at the Annual Award Luncheon on December 9th. Online registration available now! The Early Bird Registration ends at Midnight October 31st. Full Summit registration and Awards Luncheon tickets available until December 1; afterwards on-site only. If you have any questions, please contact Quinta Martin at 202-956-5132 or qmartin@cfpa.org.

 

Progress on Policy

Massachusetts to Take Action on Low-Income Housing Issues

HB 4978, sponsored by House Ways and Means and signed by Gov. Mitt Romney, will require the Department of Housing and Community Development to gather data on state- and federally-assisted housing. Until now, little or no data have been available regarding housing's accessibility for persons with disabilities, the total number of people living in affordable housing units, the income level of these households, the race and ethnicity of the heads of the households, or the number of people living in each unit. The state agency will use its research to assess whether its housing program is serving those most in need, and will uncover evidence on what is working and what needs most improvement. HB 5206, sponsored by the House Committee on Rules, will assign a special commission to form a comprehensive plan to permanently solve homelessness. The plan will outline necessary steps to combat the problem over a five-year period. Matters regarding housing, job creation and economic development will all be reviewed to remedy the decade-old system of ad hoc and disparate emergency responses to the problem. The measure was also signed by Gov. Romney.  Read CPA’s Source of Income Discrimination policy brief and model legislation.

New York Strengthens Gun Violence Prevention Measure

The Assembly and Senate of New York unanimously passed a measure that will increase penalties for those who illegally possess loaded firearms. Sponsored by Senator Martin Golden and signed by Gov. George Pataki, SB 8467 raises the mandatory minimum sentence for wrongful possession to three and a half years – the stiffest penalty in the nation. Formerly, almost 40 percent of violators did not face a prison sentence.  Read CPA’s Gun Violence Prevention policy brief and model legislation.

Pennsylvania Enacts Lobbying Transparency Legislation

Gov. Ed Rendell signed HB 700, which will mandate the disclosure of lobbying activities. Pennsylvania had been the only state in the nation without such a law. The measure establishes specific reporting requirements and places limits on gifts to politicians, with threats of fines or suspensions for lobbyists who fail to comply. The bill was sponsored by Representative John Maher.  Read CPA’s Ethics Reform policy brief.

Health Care Expanded to All Pennsylvania Children

All Pennsylvania children will have access to affordable health care under the HB 2699 “Cover All Kids” initiative signed by Gov. Ed Rendell. Pennsylvania is the second state to enact such legislation (Illinois was the first). Under the new law, the approximate monthly cost of insurance for parents will be based on a sliding scale determined by need with safeguards included to prevent abuse.  The bill was sponsored by Representative George Kenney. Read CPA’s All Kids Coverage policy brief.

Legislators of the Month

Earlier this month, four remarkable Fleming Leadership Institute alumni were elected to Congress. In honor of their victories, we have selected Senator-Elect Jon Tester (MT), Congressman-Elect Keith Ellison (MN), Congresswoman-Elect Gabrielle Giffords (AZ) and Congressman-Elect Ron Klein (FL) our Legislators of the Month for November.

Jon Tester, Montana (Flemming Fellow 2004)
Jon Tester edged out a three-term incumbent to win a U.S. Senate seat in Montana. A longtime organic grain farmer and former music teacher, his campaign platform promoted energy independence, the protection of public lands, and economic fairness. As President of the Montana state Senate, Tester oversaw the passage of measures that invested millions in K-12 education, provided scholarships for aspiring college students, ensured comprehensive state prescription drug assistance for low-income seniors, and increased health care access for children and small business employees—all while producing balanced budgets each session.

Keith Ellison, Minnesota (Flemming Fellow 2006)
Keith Ellison won a three party race with 56 percent of the vote to become the nation’s first ever Muslim elected to Congress.  Ellison previously served two terms in Minnesota’s legislature, where he authored and passed laws that protected the homeless from unfair vagrancy laws, protected children from lead poisoning, and created the largest increase in public school funding in two decades. Before serving in government, he practiced law and hosted a public affairs program on community radio. 

Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona (Flemming Fellow 2002)
Gabrielle Giffords became the first progressive candidate to win her district’s House seat in over two decades. A supporter of the guest-worker program for immigrants, she handily prevailed against a card-carrying Minuteman opponent in a region that spans the nation’s busiest corridor for border crossing and drug trafficking. Preceding her victory, Gifford fought to expand health care coverage and enhance environmental protection during six years in the Arizona legislature.

Ron Klein, Florida (Flemming Fellow 1994)
Ron Klein pulled off a remarkable come-from-behind victory to dethrone a 13-term conservative incumbent by running as an agent for change in the current political environment. As minority leader of the Florida state Senate, his legislative achievements include establishing a program to put a nurse in every public school and legislation that protected a person's end-of-life health care decisions. Senator Klein was chosen as Legislator of the Year 2004 by the Voters Coalition Group, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan good-government group.

Website of the Month: www.adjj.org

As the number of youthful offenders continues to swell, the unfair and inappropriate treatment of juveniles within the justice system is an increasingly relevant and pressing public policy concern. The MacArthur Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice offers various resources to the public and to policymakers working to promote juvenile justice reform.  Issue briefs on topics such as juveniles transferred to adult prisons, waiver of counsel, pre-interrogation interviews and parental involvement are well-researched and can provide legislators who seek to address flaws in the justice system the tools to create solid, effective policy.