6-12-09 Maine Statehouse Update

Governor's Budget & Legislative Overview

The first half of the 124th legislative session is nearly over - it is supposed to end today, but is still working as of this writing.  We had several important wins, from labeling chain restaurant menus with calorie counts, completing indoor and outdoor smoking laws, to increasing transparency in our insurance market and hospitals.  Diverse issues which cover the diverse scope of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment policy.  Our two losses were the lack of new tobacco taxes and funding for the cancer plan, but there is still hope for both in the second half of the session, which begins January 2010.

Priority Areas  

Comp Cancer

LD 701: "An Act To Fund the Screening and Early Detection Elements of the Statewide Cancer Plan" has been carried over until next year.  We made a last ditch effort to use tobacco equalization to fund the cancer plan, but the Appropriations committee decided to carry it over instead, hoping for a better economic outlook in 2010.

Congress:  Health Care Reform

      Maureen and I continue to meet with our Health Care Reform Partners, volunteers, and our Members of Congress and thier staff in their Maine offices.  On Tuesday (June 9) I taped a session of "State of the State," a local public issues show on TimeWarner.  It will be repeated this weekend, and on many local channels at odd times.  The website does have a        podcast, if you are interested.

On July 14 & 15, Dr. Susan Miesfeldt, Maine Center for Cancer Medicine and NEDiv board member, will join New England and national volunteers in Washington, DC, to discuss health care reform with our Members of Congress.  We are working with Sue and other medical volunteers to do "grassstops" meetings, op-eds, and using other creative venues to get our position across to our Members.

ACSCAN has joined another national coalition, and we will see their TV advertisments here in Maine.  

* The issues that directly impact the NEDiv Business Plan and/or National Scorecard measures in blue.