Campaign Update
Thursday, September 18, 2008

Legislature Passes Budget That Would Reverse a Decade of Progress in Covering Uninsured California Children

SACRAMENTO, California — On Tuesday morning, the Legislature approved a budget for fiscal year 2008-09 that reverses years of progress in covering California's children by including provisions that will result in nearly 300,000 children being dropped from health coverage – increasing the number of uninsured children by almost 40 percent. For years, many legislative leaders have promised to make health coverage for all children in California a top priority.  With this budget, our leaders have gone back on their commitment and taken a huge step in the wrong direction.

Read the full press release issued by the 100% Campaign and PICO California.

Governor Schwarzenegger announced that he will veto the budget proposal; in turn, the Legislature is expected to override his veto. While the press reports on these maneuvers, the real story is that this budget will prevent hundreds of thousands of eligible children from accessing the health care they need to grow up strong and healthy.

By increasing paperwork requirements for children in Medi-Cal and hiking premiums for children in Healthy Families, our leaders have approved a budget that will lead to nearly 300,000 more uninsured children in the state. School is starting, and our kids need health care!

Make your voice heard for children's health! Contact your legislators and the Governor NOW – urge them to prevent these cuts to children's health, and instead move toward ensuring that all California children have access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage.

For more information about the precarious state of children's health in California, see our recent report Critical Condition: Emerging Crisis in Children's Health Coverage.

STAY TUNED: We will keep you up-to-date as the budget is finally put to bed. 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