affordable health insurance new mexico

Before delivering our message to the Governor's office, our group -- fifty strong -- started out by following the money from Union Station to the offices of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA). CBIA purports to represent the best interests of small businesses in Connecticut, but what they really represent are their own interests as a seller of insurance. A small business owner from Milford joined us yesterday to tell CBIA that they do not speak for him on the issue of health care.

Which side are you on?The 2008 Legislative Session is officially behind us, and so it is time to publish our annual Legislative Roundup. The four page report covers the progress made in the Connecticut General Assembly on legislation related to our key issues of Health Care, Democracy, the Environment, and Economic Justice.

You can download the full report here (144 kb .pdf), or continue reading for a brief summary of the items.

Health CareA major victory on health care is still forthcoming, but progress was made and groundwork was laid to that end. The Healthcare Partnership Bill (HB 5536), which would have opened up the state employee health insurance pool to municipalities, non-profits, and small businesses passed by significant majorities in both the House and Senate but was vetoed by Governor Rell on advice of insurance industry lobbyists. In other health care news, a "Commission on Health Equity" was established to address racial and ethnic disparities in the health care system.

Friends, Food and Fun at the CCAG BBQ in New Britain

More than 100 gathered at the home of Michael and Elena Trueworthy in New Britain on Saturday to show their support for the Connecticut Citizen Action Group.

Several attendees took a moment to talk about why they feel that it was so important for them to come out and support CCAG on a hot Saturday afternoon:

Alderwoman Eva Magnuszewski says that she supports CCAG because "it is very important that every citizen in Connecticut has access to health care [because] health care is a right not a privilege."

"CCAG is the state's primary vehicle for getting power to people" says Congressman Chris Murphy. "I don't think I'd be the progressive legislator that I am if I didn't have CCAG standing by my side."

House Majority Leader, Representative Chris Donovan said of CCAG that "As a state representative working on issues that the people in the community care about, CCAG has always been there making sure that the public is represented."

If you missed the BBQ but were with us in spirit on Saturday, you can show your support for CCAG at this link.

Governor Rell to Insurance Industry: YOU WIN!

Citizens' Election Program Launched

Tuesday was the official launch of a system to publicly finance elections in Connecticut called the "Citizens' Election Program" which was passed in 2005 and was first utilized in special elections held last year. Connecticut Citizen Action Group, Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters were among the organizations thanked for their efforts in pushing for this landmark campaign finance reform.

Click on "Read More" to continue reading this article

80 Joined CCAG and