December 2006 EditionDon't Miss Out
The Seventh Annual Edition of CPA’s Progressive Agenda Has Arrived!
The Progressive Agenda for the States 2007: Values & Vision for America features 50 of the most innovative policy solutions being debated and enacted in the states. A wide range of domestic issues—including Identity Theft, Global Warming, Fair Share Health Care, Sudan Divestment, and Predatory Mortgage Lending—are covered. To order your copy today, contact Rachel Balick at rbalick@cfpa.org or 202-956-5132.
Progress on Policy
Missouri Governor Orders Health Care Disclosure
Gov. Matt Blunt has issued an executive order that directs Missouri’s Department of Social Services to issue reports that list businesses in the state with more than 50 employees or their dependents enrolled in Medicaid. The reports will be published quarterly. Gov. Blunt says he will use the reports to gain a better understanding of the state’s uninsured population and to determine which industries are most likely to have employees who rely on publicly-funded programs to obtain health care. Read CPA’s Fair Share Health Care policy brief and accompanying legislation.
It’s Civil Unions in New Jersey
New Jersey’s legislature approved a bill that establishes civil unions for same-sex couples. Gov. Jon Corzine has indicated that he will sign the bill, AB 3787 by Assemblymember Wilfredo Caraballo, into law. A state Supreme Court decision that declared that same-sex couples are entitled to the protections of marriage forced the legislature to act on the issue. Lawmakers intend civil unions to be identical to marriage as far as the rights and protections it bestows.However, many marriage equality proponents are unsatisfied with this outcome, maintaining that a “separate but equal” institution confers second-class status on same-sex couples. New Jersey becomes the third state to allow civil unions, after Vermont and Connecticut. Massachusetts remains the only state to grant full marriage to same-sex couples. Read CPA’s Marriage Equality policy brief and model legislation.
New Jersey Will Pursue Stem Cell Research
New Jersey will borrow $270 million to build research centers and become a leader in the field of stem cell research if Gov. Jon Corzine signs a bill approved by the state’s Assembly and Senate. New Jersey is one of a small handful of states that specifically allows embryonic stem cell research. The bill could stimulate a billion dollars in revenue and create about 10,000 jobs. AB 2828 was sponsored by Assemblymember Neil Cohen. Read CPA’s Stem Cell Research policy brief and model legislation.
Ohio Legislature Approves Mental Health Parity
A bill that would require health insurers to cover biologically-based mental illness as they would physical ailments has been approved by the Ohio House and Senate. SB 116, sponsored by Sen. Robert Spada, was first introduced 20 years ago but had failed to pass until this year. Gov. Bob Taft has expressed opposition to mental health parity in the past, claiming that it is onerous for small businesses. However, he has indicated that he will consider signing the bill after reviewing it thoroughly. At least 36 states have already adopted some form of mental health parity. Read CPA’s Mental Health Parity policy brief.
Pennsylvania Allows Consumers to Place Security Freezes on their Credit Reports
Legislation sponsored by Senator Jake Corman and signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell will allow Pennsylvania consumers to instruct credit bureaus to place a security freeze on their credit reports. SB 180 helps consumers in the state to protect their personal financial information from being improperly obtained and used to commit identity theft. Read CPA’s Identity Theft Prevention policy brief and model legislation.
Pennsylvania Will ‘Cover All Kids’
Access to affordable health insurance will be expanded to all Pennsylvania children under the ‘Cover All Kids’ initiative signed by Gov. Ed Rendell. The state will provide coverage by expanding the state-federal SCHIP program. 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. HB 2699 was sponsored by Rep. George Kenney. Read CPA’s All Kids Coverage policy brief and model legislation.
Polluters Face Stiffer Penalties in Pennsylvania
A bill that creates harsher penalties for waste hauling
businesses that violate Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law and Solid Waste Management Act was approved and signed into
law by Gov. Ed Rendell.
Legislator of the Month: PA Representative Doug Reichley
Pennsylvania Representative Doug Reichley recently won a victory to create harsher punishments for those who pollute the state’s waterways. Click here for an interview with Representative Reichley concerning his bill.
Website of the Month: Sudan Divestment Task Force
The violence and devastation in the Darfur region of the Sudan continues unabated, and progressives—both policymakers and citizens—are searching for some way to get involved and help end the genocide. For information on the conflict itself and how to take action, there is no better resource than the website of the Sudan Divestment Task Force at www.sudandivestment.org. The group coordinates efforts to divest from Sudan at the university, business, city, state and national levels. By divesting, states can end investment that provides financial support for the nation’s military, thereby fueling the ongoing hostility that has displaced millions and killed hundreds of thousands. The website features policy models, divestment tutorials, a list of companies that unscrupulously do business in the Sudan, and answers to frequently asked questions.