Campaign Update
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Assembly Budget Subcommittee Votes to Protect Nearly Half a Million Children

SACRAMENTO, California — Yesterday, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services rejected Governor Schwarzenegger's 2008-09 budget proposal to add more red tape for families enrolled in Medi-Cal. The Governor's proposed Quarterly Status Reports (QSRs) would require families to renew their Medi-Cal eligibility every three months, instead of once every year. Last night's vote to reject this proposal is a significant victory for California's children and families as, if implemented, the proposal would cause 471,500 children to eventually lose their Medi-Cal health coverage. To read more, please see our full press release.

The State Department of Health Care Services predicts that 471,500 children will lose health coverage as a result of QSRs, 286,600 of whom would lose coverage within the first two years of implementation. To see predicted one- and two-year impacts on children according to California Senate and Assembly districts, please see a factsheet developed by the California Budget Project.

The fight is not over. Yesterday's vote is just the first step in defeating this dangerous proposal.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD on QSRs and other draconian budget proposals affecting children's health. Contact the State Senate and Assembly Budget Committees, legislative leadership and your members. Take three minutes NOW to personalize and send this sample letter to your Legislators. You can thank the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for voting to reject QSRs and protecting children's health.

STAY TUNED. We will keep you up-to-date as the Legislature debates the budget over the coming months. Further deliberation will last throughout April and May, and the Governor's May Revise budget proposal is expected in mid-May.For more information, please contact Tim Morrison at tmorrison@childrennow.org or 510-763-2444 x122.

The 100% Campaign, a collaborative effort of The Children's Partnership, Children Now and Children's Defense Fund, was created to ensure that all of California's children obtain the health insurance they need to grow up strong and healthy.
www.100percentcampaign.org

The PICO California Project is the united effort of 20 California congregation-community organizations affiliated with the PICO National Network. Collectively, we represent 350 congregations and 400,000 families statewide and are actively organizing in over 70 cities in Northern and Southern California.
www.picocalifornia.org