Monday, April 9, 2007
In this Washington CAN! e-newsletter, you will find:
- Reminder: Children's March this Wednesday (Take Action)
- Issue Update: Basic Health
The state legislative
session concludes in just two short weeks.
Though major progress on comprehensive health care reform will be put
off until next year, we still have the opportunity to impact the outcome of
this session on two critical health care issues – Support
for Small Business & Insurance Reform.
Contact
legislative leadership today!
Message: “Please pass the broadest possible
insurance reform legislation this year with premium assistance for low-income
small business employees.”
Support for Small Business
Last year, the
legislature created the Small Employer Health Insurance Partnership program to
provide premium assistance for low-income small business employees. This year, we’ve asked budget writers to fund
these premium subsidies, while at the same time lobbying for broader insurance
reform to make quality health care affordable for small business.
Insurance Reform
Lawmakers
started the session with a broad insurance reform proposal in HB 1569.
In its original form, HB 1569 would have created a common health care
purchasing pool for individuals, small businesses, associations, state
employees, and Basic Health enrollees. Such a shared risk pool would stop
insurance companies from discriminating against those who are older, more
likely to be sick, and most in need of care. Participants would have
access to coverage on a sliding scale.
This initially
strong proposal has been watered down during the legislative process. The
House passed a version of the bill that would include
only small businesses, while the
Senate's current version largely sets aside consideration of broader insurance
reform. As legislative leaders iron out the
differences between these versions of HB 1569, progress on insurance
reform and small business support is at stake.
You can
impact their decisions if you write today!
Message: “Please pass the broadest possible insurance reform legislation this year with premium assistance for low-income small business employees.”
2) Reminder: Children’s March this
Wednesday
STOP TEARING FAMILIES APART!
CHILDREN’S MARCH
April 11, 2007
11am-1pm
Westlake Park (4th & Pine St), Downtown
Seattle
to Federal Building (2nd
& Marion St)
Children and
families will march to demand comprehensive immigration reform that:
- Reunites Families
- Protects all Workers
- Ensures Due Process for All
- Provides
a Path to Citizenship
Let’s hit the
streets and demand comprehensive immigration reform to keep our families
together. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and their “Return to
Sender” operation have terrorized our communities of color by racially
profiling and detaining families. Hundreds of children are suffering with
their parents locked away. The time has come for our children’s voices to
be heard! They want their families reunified, and they want Comprehensive
Immigration Reform now.
Dress in black for this solemn and peaceful
demonstration!
For more information, call 206-389-0050
x106 or email maru@washingtoncan.org
Endorsers: Washington CAN!, Hate Free Zone, Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, Children's Alliance, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Latino Heat, Washington Association of Churches, Somali Banadir Community Services of Washington, Minority Executive Directors Coalition, Community to Community, COMUNIDADES, CASA Latina, Somali Banadir Cultural and Education Center, Latino Liberation Movement, ANSWER Seattle, Green Party of Washington State, NAC, SEIU Local 6, SEIU Local 775, UNITE HERE Local 8, El Centro de la Raza, Para los Ninos, and others.
For several weeks we’ve
asked you to contact your legislators in support of restoring Basic Health
funding. Thousands of you did. You’ve asked lawmakers to invest in Basic
Health in emails, letters, phone calls, grassroots lobby visits and townhall
meetings across the state. Thank you.
The House budget
included $8 million and the Senate budget included $9.8 million in restored
Basic Health funding. This will be
enough to restore approximately 5,000 slots to the program, but still far short
of what’s necessary to restore enrollment back to 2001 levels (approximately
20,000 more slots).
With
over 30,000 members across the state, Washington CAN! is the
state’s largest grassroots community organization. Washington CAN! fights
for progressive social change at the local, state, and national levels, with a
focus on issues that most directly affect the lives of Washington residents.
Our mission is to achieve economic fairness in order to establish a democratic
society characterized by racial and social justice, with respect for diversity,
and a decent quality of life for those who reside in Washington State. www.WashingtonCAN.org
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