ACTION ALERT CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR TODAY! State Capitol Switchboard Vote Smart To contact them: 217.782.2000 To find out who your Senator is: 1-888 VOTE SMART or www.vote-smart.org
PLEASE NOTE: The Senate Insurance & Pensions Committee will be meeting on next Tuesday - April 29th at 1pm in room 400 of the State Capitol. HB 2268 will be voted on. Please make your calls and send your letter to Senate President Emil Jones ASAP. Other things we need help with.
Background: from Jack Ailey, 3/27/03 (added by Rita)
"Dear friends, Yesterday morning I attended a meeting organized by the Campaign for Better Health Care. The basic point is that they have a bill, directed towards implementing universal health care, which has a decent chance to pass the House and Senate in Springfield. The bill numbers are HB 2268 and SB 1430. Briefly, on the bill, it provides a 3 and 1/2 year process to achieve universal health care. It provides for a commission of 30 members, public hearings, and an independent evaluation of the plan or plans by an outside consulting company. Thus it does not mandate single-payer, it provides for the study of alternatives. Apparently without this openness there is no chance of getting the bill through the legislature. So, it is a long way from what I would consider perfect. However, I believe it is worth supporting this effort to at least make some progress on moving towards universal health care. "
Next Steps: 1) Contact one of the members of the Senate Insurance Committee. Message: ask them to vote YES on HB 2268 (Health Care Justice Act). No GOP members will be supporting this initiative; 2) Have your organization sign in as a proponent of HB 2268. The more organizations that we have in support, it will build momentum and could swing a Senator who might still be on the fence. Please email me back and let me know that we can list your organization's (write out your organization's official name) name on a list that is being developed. 3) Senate Leadership Contact: If your organization has connections with the Senate Democratic Leadership, please let me know and please contact them on behalf of your organization stating your organization's STRONG support for HB 2268. A short letter would be very helpful. Let me know if you are able to do this. 4) Join CBHC today. Your financial support is vital for us to keep this fight going!
Senate Insurance & Pensions Comm.: Democratic Members All need to be contacted. Overview: Jacobs - has stated that he would vote yes; Martinez - co-sponsor and voted yes in the Senate Health Comm.; Claybourne no confirmation, but represents a district where 30-50% were uninsured in the past 2 years should be a yes; Cullerton - asked to be listed as a co-sponsor; Harmon co-sponsor; Shadid no confirmation but sponsored a public forum last fall on this legislation. All these members are being pressured by the insurance industry to vote no. THEY NEED TO HERE FROM ALL OF US.
Please let me know what Senators you will be contacting.
We are doing a 4,200 targeted piece mailing in these districts.
Chair: Denny Jacobs (D) 36th District 123 Capitol Building Sp., IL 62706 (217) 782-5957
606 19th Street Moline, IL 61265 (309) 797-0001 (309) 797-0003 (f)
Vice-Chair: Iris Y. Martinez (D) 20th District M106 Capitol Bldg. Sp., IL 62706 (217) 782-8191 3024 N. Pulaski Rd Chicago, IL 60641 (773) 283-7000 (773) 283-2507 (f)
Member: James Clayborne, Jr. (D) 57th District 121C Capitol Bldg. Sp., IL 62706 (217) 782-5399
327 Missouri Avenue Room 422 East St. Louis, IL 62201 (618) 875-1212 (618) 274-3010 (f) Member: John J. Cullerton (D) 6th District 111 Capitol Building Sp., IL 62706 (217) 782-7260
1051 West Belmont Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 883-0770 (773) 296-0993 (f Member: Don Harmon (D) 39th District 605 Capitol Building Sp., IL 62706 (217) 782-8176
6933 W. North Avenue Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 848-2002
Member: George Shadid (D) 46th District 127 Capitol Building Sp., IL 62706 (217) 782-8250
410 Court Street Pekin, IL 61554 (309) 353-6276 (309) 353-1819 (f) |