Perhaps the biggest news in the Capitol this month was what didn’t happen. Despite weeks of tense negotiations, we weren’t able to agree on an infrastructure bond package to place on the June ballot.

Actually, the Assembly did pass two bond measures, but the Senate was unable to reach agreement on these proposals and the deadline to place a measure on the June ballot came and went.

While I’m disappointed that voters won’t get a chance to vote for better schools, improved roads, more robust flood protection, I’m pleased that my fellow Assembly members were able to find consensus. That may not get us all the way to our goal, but it certainly moves us in that direction.

Soon enough, we will once again be negotiating a state budget. This year, although we are in better shape than at any time since I took office, there will be some new pressure as a result of the federal government’s poorly crafted Medicare prescription drug program, Part D.

Medicare Part D has gotten off to a rocky start in California, and the state has had to come in and pick up a significant share of the cost of coverage that was promised by Congress. We have little choice about this. We can not and we will not stand by as senior citizens and others are forced to choose between food and medicine. We are a better state than that.

In the end, the Part D fiasco could add a quarter billion dollars in new costs, or more, as we try to balance our budget. But we will continue to put what pressure we can on Congress to provide funding for the real costs of its prescription drug plan.

Having said that, if you or a loved one qualifies for Part D benefits, you need to decide before May 15 if you want to enroll in a plan. It may be difficult and it may be confusing, but making a well-informed choice could save you money. If you are computer savvy, try the www.medicare.gov website, or talk to your pharmacist, or your physician, or call the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at 1 (800) 434-0222.

Sincerely,

Patty Berg
Assemblywoman, 1st District

Fighting for rural school kids

I think every child deserves to attend a school that has not only classrooms and a playground, but also a cafeteria, gym and a library. It sounds obvious, but the reality is many schools – including some right here on the North Coast – don’t have these minimum facilities.

Rural school districts with small student populations often lack the money needed to provide these basic necessities.

That’s why I’ve introduced my Minimum Essential Facilities bill, AB 1846. This bill says that if the state passes an education bond this year, it must set aside least $100 million to help small districts pay for basic facilities.

Healthcare of, by and for the people

My bill AB 245 says that Trinity County residents not only have the right to establish a health care district to run their regional hospital, but they have a right to say who is going to run that health care district.

Once again, that may sound obvious. But existing state law says that when a county creates a health care district, the board of supervisors can appoint the first board of trustees. Only years later can residents decide who will oversee their tax dollars.

As you know, Trinity County has struggled to keep their local hospital afloat. After years of financial difficulties and troubled management, the hospital was turned over to the well-run utility district which has already made significant progress toward stabilizing the financial health of the only medical center in this rural county.

Soon, voters will decide whether they want to establish a representative board to oversee operations of the hospital, and whether they want to tax themselves to run it. If AB 235 becomes law, they can also decide who should be entrusted to sit on the newly established governing body.

Thank You

Thank you once again for taking the time to read my little newsletter. It’s important that we stay connected while I represent you in Sacramento. And thank you, also, to all of you who have offered so much feedback about how best to transmit this information. At first, we sent you a cumbersome PDF file that many of you were wary of downloading. Then we sent a link to my website, but some of you didn’t find that very convenient. Now, we’re sending it just like any other e-mail, and so far that seems to be the most efficient and easiest way to do so. And, perhaps best of all, we’re able to save a lot of paper.