POLICY ISSUE UPDATE

CPA EXPOSES FAKE CITIZEN GROUP BACKED BY PhRMA TO FIGHT AGAINST OUR RX REFORM BILLS IN MD, FL, WA, GA, IN, NC AND OTHER STATES  

PhRMA has hired Bonner & Associates, a Washington, D.C. PR firm, to drum up opposition to our prescription drug legislation by funding a fake citizen advocacy group called "The Consumer Alliance."  A phone bank operating out of the Bonner & Associates offices is calling organizations and individual doctors to put together press conferences attacking the practice of "prior authorization," which is central to our legislation.  In your state, you may have heard PhRMA refer to a press conference of Florida doctors complaining about their state’s prior authorization system. This press conference was put together by the PhRMA front group. There was no "real" Florida group involved—the event was phony.

So far, we know this PhRMA front group has been working in FL, IN, GA, MD, NC and WA. We assume they’re in other states as well.  In fact, one of their telemarketers told CPA they were responsible for a March 5 press conference  in Georgia involving Joseph Lowery, they are organizing a press conference on March 13 in Annapolis, Maryland, and they are working in Indiana and Washington state as well. "The Consumer Alliance" is especially targeting African-American organizations—they claim to have recruited the head of NAACP in Indiana, for example.

• Click here to read an in-depth article from The Baltimore Sun, exposing PhRMA's phony grassroots lobbying efforts to defeat state legislation providing real prescription drug relief to states and the uninsured.  CPA did much of the investigative work to catch The Consumer Alliance and Bonner & Associates.   
  
• Bonner & Associates is the best-known fake grassroots firm in Washington, D.C. For a great background on Bonner & Associates, read this Mother Jones story or a similar piece by the Ralph Nader-associated Multinational Monitor here. 
  
• Click here to learn more about the "Fair Market Drug Pricing Act,"—also downloadable in MS Word.   
  
• Click here to read a state-by-state summary of legislative activity on prescription drug prices  (updated 3/11/02).   Great news - New Mexico just enacted the Florida part of the prescription drug model, due in large part to the efforts of Senator Dede Feldman (Flemming Fellow-99).  West Virginia just passed similar legislation that awaits approval from the Governor.    

ANTICIPATED CONGRESSIONAL ACTION PAVES THE WAY FOR STATE VOTING REFORM

For the past year, one big obstacle has stood in the way of enacting comprehensive voting reform at the state level--money.  But in the last few months, Congress and the President have taken actions that virtually assure that federal funds will be available to pay for state voting reform.  Click here to read CPA's Alternatives article explaining how states can introduce measures now to guarantee voting rights this November in anticipation of federal funds.   

STATE LEADERS GO GLOBAL

Click here to read about the experiences of members of the pilot class of CPA's newest leadership program, the Eleanor Roosevelt Global Leadership Institute, when they embarked on an intensive six-day trip to Chile last November. 

STATES CAN FIX UNEMPLOYMENT SAFETY NETS DESPITE BUDGET SHORTFALLS

In the wake of September 11 and the national recession, more than half the state legislatures are actively considering measures to strengthen unemployment insurance (UI). 

• Click here to read CPA's Alternatives article addressing why states are in a position to fix their UI safety nets and what options policymakers can consider to expand benefits and help more unemployed workers.   
  
• CPA, in partnership with the National Employment Law Project, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Economic Policy Institute, and the AFL-CIO, released a report providing a state-by-state evaluation of unemployment insurance systems, grading each state on its eligibility requirements, benefit levels, employer taxes, funding adequacy, and recession preparedness. The report, Failing the Unemployed, was released this week, the week when unemployment benefits run out for those workers affected by September 11. Several states, including New York, Ohio, and Alabama are holding press conferences and organizing events this week to raise attention to this important issue. At the March 12 national press conference to publicly release the report, NM Rep. Mimi Stewart (Flemming Fellow-96), offered her perspective on state solutions to the problem.  The report is available in a PDF format in its entirety online. Read the Bloomberg news article about the report, U.S. Jobless Benefit Program Is Patchwork in Need of Repair, Study Says, here. 

A CONVERSATION WITH ACTION MEDIA CPA recently sat down with Dick Brooks and Michael Goldberg of Action Media, the Wisconsin-based firm that specializes in communications training, meeting facilitation, and issue framing specifically for policymakers and public interest groups.  Brooks and Goldberg gave media advocacy advice to CPA's network in December by leading a day-long message framing workshop for CPA's Northeast Policy Leaders Forum and a Media Workshop at the Summit on the States.  The response was so overwhelming that CPA decided to have Action Media share their communication strategy wisdom with those who missed them in December.  Click here to read the Alternatives interview with Brooks and Goldberg of Action Media.

• Tough Economic Times Calls for Values-Based Decisions:  An editorial from Tim McFeeley, CPA's Chief Executive Officer, about the importance of values in the public policy process.
• Options Exist to Close the Reproductive Health Gap for Women of Color:  Learn about the alarming gaps and disparities in reproductive health care for women of color and how state legislators can take advantage of new policies to ensure healthier communities and promote equitable health care for all. 

• U.S. - Japan Policy Exchange Eight state policymakers recently traveled to Japan in November as part of the U.S. - Japan Exchange on Women in Public Policy.  The three-year program, sponsored by CPA and the Japan Society, educates women state-elected officials and community leaders about domestic violence, eldercare end economic development policy in both countries.
• WV FREE Roe V. Wade Gala ,Charleston, West Virginia  CPA's Director of Program Initiatives Jen Ray delivered a keynote address during WV FREE's special gala fundraiser in commemoration of the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.  Click here to read a transcript of Ray's speech on the relevance of reproductive freedom in the world since September 11.
• "One Florida: Results or Rhetoric" March  6-7, 2002, Tallahassee, Florida About 200 activists gathered at a downtown Tallahassee church last Wednesday to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the sit-in and historic march on the capitol led by CPA Board Members Florida Sen. Kendrick Meek (Flemming Fellow -96) and former Florida Rep. Tony Hill protesting Florida Governor Jeb Bush's “One Florida” initiative.  CPA staff joined Meek, Hill, actor Alec Baldwin, and a host of legislators and representatives from the civil rights, voting rights, labor, faith and grassroots communities at this anniversary event to challenge the One Florida plan that dissolved affirmative action in public university admission policies and to rally against any future electoral disaster. The People for the American Way Foundation organized last week's events and have worked to build coalitions in Florida that increased voter turnout in the 2000 election.  As part of the 2^nd anniversary celebration, a special leadership training was held Thursday, March 7 to provide an opportunity for community members to discuss successful strategies for encouraging voter participation and protecting voters’ rights in the 2002 election.  CPA's State Network Director Tracie Pough and Communications Director Kristina Wilfore organized a communications workshop to assist advocates in framing progressive strategies and a coalition-building workshop for students.     

• WOMEN’S SUMMIT 2002: NEVADA WOMEN UNITED, APRIL 20,  LAS VEGAS, NEVADA The Nevada Women's Lobby, a statewide non-partisan coalition of organizations, women and men presenting a strong voice on issues affecting women and families, will hold their 4th biennial conference on April 20 in Las Vegas.  At the Women at Work in a 24/7 World Summit, CPA's Work & Family Initiative Manager Helen Gonzales will lead the workshop Caregiving Challenges and Opportunities for Working Families.  This workshop will examine challenges facing working parents - and those seeking work - as they try to provide the care needed by their children and/or aging parents or relatives. Attendees will learn about, and discuss, state policy initiatives addressing this caregiving dilemma. For more information about the conference, or to register, click here. 

•  MAINE WOMEN'S ECONOMIC SECURITY AGENDA FORUM - MARCH 1, AUGUSTA, MAINE   Jennifer Woolley, Manager of CPA’s Women and the Economy Program, recently attended a forum for Maine leaders to develop a broad-based coalition of women's groups and individuals to promote a unified agenda among policy and decisionmakers in Maine. About 50 women representing a wide variety of sectors attended the forum. The coalition’s framework, although a bit broader, is largely based on CPA's America's Economic Agenda: Women's Voices for Solutions. CPA was recognized several times during the meeting for its contributions to this effort through its research, publications, and the women-led economic agenda. The participants will continue to work together to develop a final document that will define the framework for Maine Women's Economic Security.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Exclusive ALEC Report

CPA  recently reported on our participation in a national press conference  on February 28 to release the report "Takeover in the States: How the American Legislative Exchange Council Promotes Big Business' Agenda in our Legislatures Nationwide."  The report, commissioned by the Defenders of Wildlife and the National Resources Defense Council, is now available online here.