CA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION
NETWORK
CAPITOL NEWS REPORT - ISSUE
#151-2004
AUGUST 28, 2004 - Early Saturday morning
Linking people to disability rights and
unified action
Website IS BACK UP! New
location: www.cdcan.us Toll-free info Lines Up
Note: Virus Alert - Beware
of Attachments! There is NEVER any attachment to CDCAN Reports.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:
* ASSEMBLY PASSES NURSING HOME
QUALITY ASSURANCE FEE BILL
* BILL PASSES ON A OVERWHELMING
72-1 BI-PARTISAN VOTE
* ASSEMBLYMEMBER FROMMER CALLS
BILL "HISTORIC"
* SEVERAL DISABILITY & SENIOR
ADVOCATES OPPOSE
* HEADS NEXT TO GOVERNOR -
APPROVAL EXPECTED
SACRAMENTO - Legislation (AB 1629)
that would implement what Assemblymember Dario Frommer (D-Los Angeles)
said would be an "historic step" toward nursing home reform by
implementing a quality assurance fee and rate reimbursement plan, easily
passed the Assembly by 72-1 in its final vote in the Legislature. The
measure, which was voted on by the Assembly after midnight during a
marathon long session that began at 10:00 AM Friday morning, is
co-authored by Assemblymember Keith Richman (R-Northridge), and received
overwhelming bi-partisan support, including conservative Republicans
Assemblymembers Haynes, Mountjoy and Strickland .42 of the Assembly's 48
Democrats and 30 of the Assembly's 32 Republicans voted for the bill.
The bill was opposed by several disability
and senior advocacy organizations, and now heads to Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger and with strong bi-partisan Legislative support, is
expected to approve the legislation. The Governor has until September 30
to sign or veto (or allow the bill to become law without his signature).
[A full report on this bill - and other bills passed by the Legislature
impacting people with disabilities and seniors, will be reported in a
CDCAN Capitol News Report with analysis and vote records early next week.
]
Both houses of the Legislature are still
in session as of this writing, rushing to take final action on a huge
number of bills before they adjourn for the year early Saturday morning
(8/28).
The measure was presented on the Senate Floor
by Sen. John Burton (D-San Francisco) and easily passed the Senate on
Wednesday (8/25) on a bi-partisan vote of 29-1 (Republican Sen. Tom
McClintock opposing).
AB 1629 is sponsored by an alliance of
nursing home providers, nursing home worker union and some senior
groups (Gray Panthers and Older Women's
League), and has raised controversy and strong opposition from several
disability and senior advocacy organizations including AARP, California
Foundation for Independent Living, Protection and Advocacy, California
Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, and Californians for Disability Rights
who claimed that the bill raises serious concerns regarding quality care
and the rights of seniors and people with disabilities who receive care in
skilled nursing facilities compliance with the 1999 US Supreme Court
Olmstead Decision. Those advocates also claimed that the sponsors of the
legislation failed to share the proposal with all stakeholders and rushed
the proposal as a "gut and amend" bill during the last weeks of the 2004
Legislative session to avoid public scrutiny. Proponents disputed those
charges.
VOTE RECORD REPORT - 8/28/04 ASSEMBLY
FLOOR AB 1629
AYES VOTES - Total: 72
Democrats (42): Berg, Bermudez,
Calderon, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Corbett, Correa, Diaz, Dutra, Dymally,
Frommer, Goldberg, Hancock, J. Horton, Jackson, Kehoe, Koretz, Laird,
Leno, Levine, Lieber, Liu, Longville, Lowenthal, Matthews, Montanez,
Nakano, Nation, Nunez (Assembly Speaker), Negrete-McLeod, Parra, Reyes,
Ridley-Thomas, Salinas, Simitian, Steinberg, Vargas, Wiggins, Wolk, Yee
Republicans (30): Aghazarian, Bates,
Benoit, Bogh, Campbell, Cogdill, Cox, Daucher, Dutton, Garcia, Harman,
Haynes, S. Horton, Keene, La Malfa, La Suer, Leslie, Maddox, Maldonado,
McCarthy (Assembly Republican Leader), Mountjoy, Nakanishi, Pacheco,
Plescia, Richman, Runner, Samuelian, Spitzer, Strickland, Wyland
NO VOTES - 1
Democrats (0): none
Republicans (1): Maze
NOT VOTING/ABSTAINING - Total 7
Democrats (6) : Canciamilla,
Firebaugh, Mullin, Oropeza, Pavley, Wesson
Republicans (1): Houston
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CA
DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
URGENT - CONTRIBUTIONS
NEEDED TO CONTINUE EFFORT
Please help continue the effort!
Many many, thanks again, to the friends, people with disabilities and
their families, community organizations and others who have sent in
generous and needed contributions and donations. Contributions from
people and organizations is very urgently needed to keep the advocacy
efforts going for the next several months, as we work to establish
non-profit status, which we can focus after the budget is signed.
Apologies to anyone who have not yet received a thank you - email,
letters, calls have been overwhelming!
Please make check or money
order to: California Disability Community Action Network (or abbreviate
CDCAN). A method to contribute by credit card (through Paypal) is NOW
set up on our website, at www.cdcan.org. CDCAN is not yet a non-profit
organization but will be soon. Send contributions to: California
Disability Community Action Network, 1225 8th Street Suite #480,
Sacramento, CA 95814. A method to contribute by credit card (through
Paypal) is NOW set up on our website, at www.cdcan.us [NOTE the
NEW website address!)
* Who Is CDCAN?
The California Disability
Community Action Network is a non-partisan link to thousands of
Californians with developmental and other disabilities, their families,
community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers, and
other advocates. These action alerts and news reports is for all of them.
In addition it also goes to news organizations, state and local government
officials and staff.
* How To Receive CDCAN
Capitol News Reports and Alerts
If you would like to get on this
distribution (and conversely, get off of it) please send an email with
that request to: martyomoto@rcip.com OR sign up via the NEW CDCAN
website at www.cdcan.us - the site at the NEW location is UP! Sharing
information is part of our organizing effort. Please feel free to forward
or copy this (attribution is nice). We're all in this together!
* How To Contact CDCAN
Marty Omoto, director/organizer
- California Disability Community Action Network WEBSITE: www.cdcan.us
[new address]
1225 8th Street Suite 480
Sacramento, CA 95814 VOICE PHONE: 916/446-0013
FAX number: 916/446-0026
email: martyomoto@rcip.com
INFO HOTLINE TOLL FREE NUMBER:
1-877-260-0267 (cannot leave messages) SAME INFO HOTLINE FOR SACRAMENTO
AREA: 486-4652
HAPPY 61st BIRTHAY TO BOB
BENSON - A FRIEND AND TERRIFIC ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND
SENIORS
