by shayera [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

There's positive news from the Writer's strike. The L.A. Times is reporting that a contract has been negotiated between the two sides. The two sides have been engaged in unofficial negotiations for the past two weeks. And both sides have been very careful to keep all news blacked out.

The article says that the proposal will be presented to the union's negotiating committee board by the negotiators on Monday.  

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

The people have imposed qualifications on public office to make sure that those who run and win have the ability to do the job. Thus you must be an attorney to run for judge or district attorney. And all candidates must be registered voters, a fact that establishes citizenship and residency in a district. Candidates for partisan office must have been registered in their party for a year, and so on.

The latest redistricting initiative – backed by Republican Governor Schwarzenegger – takes the opposite tack. It would have a Commission draw political districts that has no qualifications. Rather, it would exclude everyone who had qualifications.

Commissioners would be chosen by three randomly selected certified auditors, none of whom would have any experience or knowledge of the redistricting process.

These unqualified screeners would then pick a pool of people chosen from those with no experience and with no relations with experience – going back 10 years.

These unqualified voters would be randomly reduced to 14. Ideologically extreme Minority Party Members or indifferent unaligned voters would hold the balance of power on the Commission. This group would choose the staff.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Michael Russo
Health Care Advocate and Staff Attorney
California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG)

Governor Schwarzenegger called 2007 the year of health care reform back in January, but most of the action’s been saved for the last few months. After a summer spent on budget wrangling and with little time to spare before adjournment, the legislature quickly passed a reform bill. But the bill – called AB 8 – didn’t satisfy the Governor. He called a special legislative session on health care reform, vetoed the legislature’s bill, and last month released legislative language on his plan. Then on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Nunez and Senate President Pro Tem Perata replied with their own proposal for reform.

That’s a lot of back-and-forth, but the legislatures’ proposal puts us very close to a deal.

The Speaker’s plan goes a long way towards meeting the governor in the middle, while still containing costs, expanding coverage, and helping consumers get a fair shake when buying insurance.

When he vetoed AB 8, the Governor cited two specific issues: the bill didn’t attempt to cover all Californians, and he argued that it didn’t spread out the costs of reform fairly enough, and imposed too high a burden on businesses.

by California Nurses Shum [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee said today that it will oppose the latest healthcare plan proposed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, which would sentence patients to patients to forced insurance, threats to seize wages to pay the premiums of the very for-profit insurance companies who are speedily wrecking our health care system, and mandatory costs.

"As more details continue to emerge, it is apparent that this proposal is riddled with flaws that could exacerbate the healthcare crisis for countless numbers of California families," said CNA/NNOC Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro.

More details below, or visit the online home of the Nationanl Nurses Organizing Committee and California Nurses Association, and join the fight for guaranteed healthcare on the single-payer model.

by Matt Ortega [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

(Disclosure: I am an online organizer for It's OUR Healthcare!)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's healthcare 'proposal' -- to require everyone to buy insurance, whether or not they can afford it and regardless of whether it actually protects them -- will be heard before the Assembly Health Committee in Sacramento today.

While the Governor's proposal gets further scrutiny from California lawmakers, none of whom from either party is willing to carry, Californians have already made up their mind. $5,000 deductibles is not "affordable healthcare."

It's OUR Healthcare! is currently holding a rally on the steps of the State Capitol. Can't make it to Sacramento? Text IOH to 30644. We are displaying your text messages sent in by thousands of Californians here at the Capitol and streaming them on the web.

Snag the code for the really cool text message display seen on the live fieed below: