SB 810, Single Payer Health Care for California, passed through the California Senate's Appropriations Committee by a 6-2 vote last week. Little birdies told me that was both surprising (in terms of the extra vote, instead of a bare majority of five or worse) and very encouraging.
They tweeted (in the birdie sense) that there is now a real sense out there that the bill can be passed by the Senate on or before the deadline of January 31st. (That's the date by which this bill must pass it's originating house (in this case the Senate) to be able to be forwarded to the other house (the Assembly). Don't ask me why, I don't make the legislative rules.)
Si Se Puede. Indeed.
But there is no time or reason to be complacent.
SB 810 is by no means assured of passage. Through the Senate or onwards. "Si Se Puede" does not mean "Es un determinado."
We can assume the health insurance industry will do everything inhumanly possible -- after all, the companies that compose it are the spawn of vampire squid from Wall Street -- to stop this bill from becoming law.
Which means that it's up to us to do everything we can do, humanly, mutantly and extraterrestrially, to see single payer health care enacted. 'Cause there ain't no one else.
That means, if you're a Californian, picking up the phone and calling your own State Senator and then other Senators who, more birdies tell me, are on the fence.
If you are not sure who your California State Senator is, or how to contact them, find out here.
Here's a list of Democratic Senators who are thought to be "on the fence" as far as SB 810. Calling them will make a difference! (If only to your phone bill -- no, that was a joke, son.)
Senator Michael Rubio
Phone: (916) 651-4016
senator.rubio@sen.ca.gov
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Senator Roderick Wright
Phone: (916) 651-4025
senator.wright@sen.ca.gov
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Senator Ron Calderon
Phone: (916) 651-4030
senator.calderon@sen.ca.gov
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Senator Lou Correa
Phone: (916) 651-4034
senator.correa@sen.ca.gov
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Senator Juan Vargas
Phone: (916) 651-4040
senator.vargas@sen.ca.gov
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If you can think of something else concrete to do I'm all ears and these diaries are wide open to your suggestions, but as far as I know calls and emails, given the short time until January 31st, are the only things -- maybe short of a $10,000 contribution -- that's going to have an effect.
Again, if you are not sure who your California State Senator is, or how to contact them
find out here
Pick up the phone and call. All you need to say is one sentence:
I would like Senator XXX to support SB 810, Single Payer Health Care for California.
If and when we get SB 810 through the Senate, then we can work on the Assembly, whose members have until as long as September to find ways not to vote for it, and then Jerry Brown. (For more information on the steps necessary to enact and implement this legislation, see this diary.)
It's time to get the insurance companies out of the business body of health care.
One last time: if you are not sure who your California State Senator is, or how to contact them, find out here.
If you want to get involved and do more:
California One Care.
URGENT: YES Votes Needed For SB 810
Single Payer Now.
We Need Everyone to Call Their Senator
And We Need Volunteers to Call Constituents in Key Senate Districts to
Encourage calls to their Senator for SB 810
We need you to contact your State Senator to encourage him or her to
vote for SB 810, the California Universal Heatlhcare Act...
We also need volunteers to call constituents in key senate districts
today. I will send you a script and numbers.
We have the names and phone numbers of thousands of SB 810 supporters
who do not have emails. Our experience has shown that people are
activated 20 times more by a phone call than an email alert.
Health Care For All
Where do things really stand in the Senate?
I'm not on the inside, so I don't know much. There are 40 Senators, ten of whom are sponsors or co-sponsors. In Monday's diary it was reported by Kossacks that at least two other Senators, Senators Curren and Wolk had confirmed their support. There are runors swirling around many others, naturally, since it would be hard to get to twenty or twenty-one votes with just twelve!
Senator Leno is the sponsor of the bill. These are the nine co-sponsors:
Senator Alquist
Senator Evans
Senator Corbett
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Senator Lieu
Senator Lowenthal
Senator Hancock
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Senator Yee
Senator Pavley
Senator DeSaulnier
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If one of them is your Senator, call them and thank them and also encourage them to do all they can to insure that the bill passes.
"CEOs? I say, if we don't break them, we'll all be broke."
Si Se Puede
10:25 AM PT: Thanks to Cedyn for a diary that helped kick this one onto the rec list!
11:08 AM PT: Update: People have suggested LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Which is a good idea. You can generally submit them electronically; insofar as time is off the essence here, that should work.
11:10 AM PT: Contact information for all California Senators can be found here