Vermont Passes Universal Health Care

On June 3, the Vermont Legislature passed a universal health care bill that would have begun providing coverage for uninsured Vermonters in the fall of 2006 had it not been vetoed by Gov. Jim Douglas.

The bill would have raised $43.8 million to provide primary and preventive health coverage to 35,000 Vermonters who have no health insurance. Businesses that do not offer health insurance to their workers would have been required to pay a 1 percent payroll tax if their payroll totals less than $50,000 or a 3 percent payroll tax otherwise. Vermonters without health insurance would have paid a 1 percent income tax.

“Despite the governor’s veto, we made huge progress toward our goal of making Vermont the first state to have universal health care coverage,” said VPIRG Executive Director Paul Burns. ”We’ll be back next year fighting for the right of every Vermonter to have a doctor and a fair system to pay for it.”

REINING IN DRUG COMPANY GIFTS TO DOCTORS—CALPIRG Legislative Director Steve Blackledge appeared on CNN’s Lou Dobbs Moneyline on August 11 to discuss pharmaceutical industry gifts to doctors.

CALPIRG Wins Law To Rein In Gifts To Doctors

Pharmaceutical companies must develop rules prohibiting inappropriate gifts to doctors and publish them on their Web sites under the CALPIRG-sponsored Drug Industry Fair Marketing Act, which took effect on July 1.

“Fancy gifts and expensive meals are a dubious attempt by drug companies to woo our doctors and pitch their priciest products,” said CALPIRG Legislative Director Steve Blackledge. “We’re hopeful this new law clamps down on it.”

Many drug companies have criticized the new law in the media, but not all are rankled. John Gallagher from Chiron, a Bay Area drug company, told the Oakland Tribune, “We certainly respect the law and its intent to protect consumers.”

Toxic Flame Retardant Banned In Oregon

An OSPIRG-backed bill signed into law on July 13 by Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski phases out a class of toxic chemicals that appears in frighteningly high amounts in the breast milk of Oregon women. By enacting Senate Bill 962, Oregon now joins seven other states in taking this action to protect public health.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of toxic flame retardants widely used in many products, including mattresses, furniture, electronics, plastics, automobiles and computers.

These chemicals persist in the environment and build up in animals and people. Health concerns from low level exposure to these toxins—particularly for developing infants— include impacts on brain development, critical hormone function, memory, learning and behavior. “There’s really no need to be using these chemicals anymore,” noted OSPIRG’s Rhett Lawrence. “Many companies are already using safer alternatives, with no reduction in fire safety.” Companies such as Intel, Ikea and Ericsson have already found safer alternatives to these toxic flame retardants, noted Lawrence.

Young Voters Fuel 2004 Election Turnout Gains

Young voters drove the overall turnout increase in the 2004 election, with turnout from 18 to 24- year-olds surging 11 percentage points over the 2000 election, according to the 2004 Census reports released in May.

“In an election marked by higher turnout from all age groups, young people led the way,” said PIRG New Voters Project Director David Rosenfeld.

The 18-24 turnout increase is the highest among all age groups, according to an analysis by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).