POLICY ISSUE UPDATE
CPA Rx MODEL BILL NEARS PASSAGE IN SEVERAL STATES
CPA's Fair Market Drug Pricing Act, based on the Maine Fair Pricing Legislation of 2000 and Florida's Medicaid Rebate legislation of 2001, has become one of the hottest measures in state legislatures this year. This innovative model sets up the state to negotiate fair drug prices for Medicaid recipients and uninsured residents. Currently introduced in 23 states, versions of the CPA bill have passed in at least one house of the legislature in 11 states (including HI, IN, NM, VT, WA). Despite well-financed efforts from pharmaceutical companies to stop this legislation, it has become a popular model for two key reasons: 1) both the Maine and Florida laws were upheld by federal courts last year, and 2) states desperately need the Medicaid savings that the model provides (Florida stands to save $214 million this year in drug costs).
EQUAL PAY A TOP PRIORITY DESPITE STATE FISCAL CONCERNS
State legislators are moving legislation to correct wage inequities, demonstrating that equal pay is still a top policy priority in the states despite other economic concerns. A total of 32 bills in 16 states have been introduced so far this session. Proposed legislation would prohibit wage discrimination and allow the state to penalize companies; require pay equity for female state government employees; institute an equal pay study, and; recognize April 13 as Equal Pay Day.
· Click here to view a summary of equal pay policies and CPA's model legislation, the "Equal Pay Remedies and Enforcement Act,"—also downloadable in MS Word.
· CPA will be helping states organize events around Equal Pay Day. More details to come. For more information about Equal Pay Day, visit the National Committee on Pay Equity's website.
Unemployment Insurance (UI) was intended to be our nation’s first line of defense in an economic downturn. But today, most laid-off workers don’t qualify for any UI benefits. Despite pressure on state general funds, most states are in a position to fix their UI safety nets. CPA, in partnership with the National Employment Law Project, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Economic Policy Institute, and the AFL-CIO, will release a report on the status of UI action in the states on March 13th—the week when unemployment benefits run out for those workers affected by September 11. Several states will hold press conferences and organize events to raise attention to this important issue.
· Click here to read a recent CPA op-ed underscoring the need, in the wake of September 11 and the national recession, for states to expand their unemployment insurance benefits in Homeland Security Means Ensuring Economic Security of Unemployed Workers.
· Click here to view a menu of unemployment insurance reform policies that legislators can use to expand benefits and help more unemployed workers.
WWW.STATEACTION.ORG EXTRAS
· State of the States: Visit our revamped State of the States web page to locate the latest state-by-state indicators covering economic, reproductive health and children's issues.
· 2002 Progressive Agenda Now Online:Policy summaries, resources and model bills from the revised and expanded 2002 edition of the Progressive Agenda are available online at www.stateaction.org. Use our pulldown menu to choose from over 50 issues.
· A quick and easy link to State Legislatures:Tired of searching for state legislative web sites? Go to http://www.stateaction.org/statemap.cfm for a clickable map of all state legislatures.
CPA EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
· CPA Field staff hits the road. CPA's field staff have been on the road, meeting with state legislators and partners across the country during the busy 2002 legislative sessions. Regional staff have met with labor leaders, consumer groups, senior citizen groups and state policy centers in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia.
· Northeast Action Election Reform Conference, January 11, Worcester, MassachusettsCPA’s Northeast Regional Director Bettye Jo Pakulis was a featured participant at Northeast Action's first conference on Voting Rights in the Northeast - Strategies for Change. One hundred-fifty advocates and legislators from seven Northeast states gathered to discuss election reform developments and potential reform campaigns in the Northeast. Speaking at the conference's Plenary and the "Election Day Issues" workshop, Pakulis discussed CPA's model voting reform bill. Other election reform ideas discussed included election day registration, instant run-off voting, statewide voter registration database, provisional balloting, voting technology, and various other election day issues.
· AFSCME Budget Crisis Strategies Conference February 13, 2002, Washington DCThe American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, convened its Budget Crisis Strategies Conference of state and local labor leaders to battle “the effects of the worst budget crisis in two decades.” CPA's Policy Director Bernie Horn, a featured speaker, discussed how labor leaders can advocate for lower prescription drug prices with CPA's "Fair Market Prescription Drug Pricing Act."
· Mississippi Black Legislative Caucus Training, January 30, 2002, Jackson, Mississippi. CPA, through its Southeast Policy Leaders Forum, led a training for the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus (one of the largest state legislative caucuses in the country). The purpose of the training was to assist the Caucus begin outlining a strategic plan and provide communications skills to help the Caucus deliver their message more effectively.
· Business & Professional Women Annual Policy and Action Conference: "Workplace Equity & Work-Life Balance": February 13-16, 2002, Washington, DC CPA recently participated in "Workplace Equity & Work-Life Balance," annual policy and action conference of the Business & Professional Women/USA. CPA's State Network Director Tracie Pough and Women & the Economy Manager Jennifer Woolley led the workshop "Legislation in the States: How You Can Get Involved,” which featured strategies for businesswomen to advocate policy change at the state level on issues such as equal pay and contraceptive equity.
· Building Bridges Between Policy and People: Devolution in Practice: January 9-11, 2002, Washington, DCThe Kellogg Foundation recently sponsored the final networking meeting of the Devolution Initiative at a three-day conference. As a member of the Initiative, CPA, and 18 other strategic partners, state organizations, and scholar/practitioners, working in more than 40 states, participated in the final conference. The event focused on the impact on the states of devolved welfare and health care policies and lessons learned from the five-year Devolution Initiative. New findings, produced by the Initiative partners, on the effects of devolution are available on the Kellogg Foundation's website.
· Public Safety and Justice Campaign (PSJC) Steering Committee Meeting: January 10-12, 2002, Charlotte, North Carolina Diallo Brooks, Southeast Regional Policy Leaders Forum Director, recently participated in PSJC's conference. The Steering Committee, which includes members of CPA, AFSCME, SEIU, Grassroots Leadership, USSA, Good Jobs First, and the Prison Moratorium Project, met to discuss past action and next steps in combating prison privatization.
· Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute Retreat I: January 4-7, 2002, New Orleans, Louisiana This retreat was the first session held for the 35 state legislators selected to participate in the 2002 class of Flemming Fellows, who will convene for their second retreat in June. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist David Broder has called the Flemming Fellows "political spirit-lifters." They are state legislators from throughout the country who share a deep commitment to public service and who believe that government can and should play an active role in resolving some of the critical issues facing America today. To learn more about the members of the 2002 class, click here. To read an article from The Westerly Sun about the collaborations stemming from the Flemming retreat, click here.
FEBRUARY 28, 2002
Exclusive ALEC Briefing Report and Press Conference
CPA will take part in a national press conference to release the report "Takeover in the States: How the American Legislative Exchange Council Promotes Big Business' Agenda in our Legislatures Nationwide," commissioned by the Defenders of Wildlife and the National Resources Defense Council. The press conference will be held at 10:00 am at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. (529 14th Street, 13th floor). A special briefing about the report will be held at 9:00 am. To RSVP, contact Kirsten Lindquist at 202-956-5134 by Monday, February, 25th.
MARCH 6-7, 2002
Arrive with Five March on Tallahassee 2nd Anniversary Celebration and Election Protection Leadership Training
A host of events are being organized to commemorate the march that mobilized Floridians against Governor Jeb Bush’s “One Florida” initiative (which dissolved affirmative action by executive order) and brought them out to the polls on Election Day 2000. As part of the 2nd anniversary celebration of the One Florida Historical March on Tallahassee, a special leadership training will be held Thursday, March 7 for civil rights groups, grassroots advocates, policymakers and labor leaders. The training will provide an opportunity for progressives to discuss strategies for encouraging voter participation and projecting voters’ rights in the 2002 election. Conference sponsors include the People for the American Way Foundation, National Coalition on Black Civil Participation, NAACP Voter Empowerment Program, Legal Defense Fund, Center for Policy Alternatives, and The Advancement Project. As part of the training, CPA will lead a communications workshop to offer participants tools for framing progressive strategies. For more information about the leadership training contact CPA’s Southeast Regional Director Diallo Brooks at 202-956-5150.