Current Legislative Priorities

Reforming Our Broken Health Care System:

CALPIRG is working to pass ABX1-1, and to get legislators to campaign actively for the related ballot measure. The bill will expand group coverage through a purchasing pool and subsidies to low-income Californians, and prevent insurance companies from denying coverage or charging increased premiums to the sick. Beyond ABX1-1 however, more work remains to be done to ensure that consumers have access to affordable insurance and safe prescription drugs.  This session, CALPIRG urges legislators to:

*Expand California’s regulation of the gifts and payments drug companies give to doctors.  
*Pass legislation that would set up a public insurer from which consumers could opt to purchase coverage.
*Require insurers to justify any increases in their rates before putting them into effect.

World-Class Public Transportation:

Especially with California’s booming population, we need to develop and maintain transit services that prevent traffic congestion from getting worse and contribute the least amount of unhealthy pollution. Unfortunately, last year’s budget cut more than $1.2 billion from our public transit agencies, reducing needed funds for bus, light rail, and subway lines throughout the state. In 2008 CALPIRG urges legislators to:
    
*Maintain funding for public transit in the 2008-09 Budget
*Strongly back the November 2008 ballot measure to fund construction of the high speed rail line. Our transportation needs are too great to wait any longer.  

Fixing the Home Mortgage Lending Market:

With California’s $14 billion deficit largely fueled by the decline in the housing market, sub-prime mortgage lending not only threatens individual homeownership, but also the economic stability of the state. We need to ban abusive loan practices to prevent the next crisis. CALPIRG urges the legislature to pass legislation to:

*Require lenders and brokers to act in the financial interest of the borrower
*Require lenders to honestly assess a borrower’s ability to pay
*Eliminate excessive fees and prepayment penalties  

Improving Product Safety:

In 2007, 25 million toys were recalled because they were laced with lead or contained small, powerful magnets that could perforate a young child’s intestines. To protect our health and safety, we need to set better standards, hold companies accountable, and put enough cops on the product safety beat to get the job done. CALPIRG urges the state legislature to:
    

*Pass a bright line ban on lead in children’s toys

Contact Information:

Public Transit and Product Safety:

Emily Rusch, Advocate

415-622-0039 x307

erusch@calpirg.org

Health Care Reform and Prescription Drugs:

Mike Russo, Healthcare Advocate

(213) 251-3680 x332

mrusso@calpirg.org

Mortgage Lending Reform:

Pedro Morillas, Legislative Advocate

(916) 448-4516

pedro@calpirg.org