SACRAMENTO – Bolstered by labor, the AARP, and other health advocates, Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) joined Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) today urging the Governor to support Assembly Bill 8, their comprehensive health care legislation. AB 8 is expected to clear the Assembly and Senate today and head to the Governor’s office for consideration.

“This compromise took a look at the Governor’s proposal, took aspects from his proposal, and put them into this bill as a means to extend goodwill to the Governor in the hope he can finally put his signature on what we believe is going to set California apart from every other state in this nation,” Speaker Núñez said, who introduced AB 8 last December.

“This legislation provides access to affordable health care for millions of low-income, hard working Californians who are currently shut out of the system,” Senator Perata said.

AB 8 would significantly expand health insurance availability in California, insuring more than two-thirds of those currently without insurance. AB 8 would also insure all children and significantly improves upon existing cost control mechanisms. It is backed by a diverse array of labor groups, children’s health advocates, and others, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), California Labor Federation, AARP, Health Access, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“As California goes, so goes the nation,” Perata added. “By signing this measure, the Governor can make California the national model for effective health care reform.”

“I truly believe if and when the Governor signs AB 8, California will set the state once again to be a leader on health care reform, to show Congress that it’s time for them to act to protect the people of this country,” Núñez added.

Many aspects of AB 8 are very similar to the health care outline proposed by the Governor. A side-by-side comparison of AB 8 and the Governor’s proposal is attached.

Audio of the Speaker’s opening remarks can be found here: http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/Newsline/Audio/20070910AB8NunezRaw.mp3

The Speaker’s complete opening statement is below:

“What this is about is health care, and everybody agrees that we need to fundamentally change the broken health care system that we have. So whether you support single payer, whether you support a comprehensive health care reform such as is the case with AB 8, or whether you support the Governor’s concept on health care, there is one thing we have in common, and that is that the health care system in this state is broken. And I think for that I want to thank everybody that has spoken loud and clear across this state calling for health care reform. It is those that have been silent that I believe need to be called to the task for not speaking out to reform our health care system. It is those that want to maintain the status quo that indeed need to be called to the task.

First I wanted to say thank you to all of the people that are here with us today, organizations that represent California and represent California well: The congress of California Seniors, the United Health Care Workers, ACORN, the California Teachers Association, Health Access, and all of the unions that are here. I know we will hear from several union leaders including the President of the California Labor Federation as well as some of the local union leaders and state union leaders in California and we will also hear from the AARP. In my view they have done a phenomenal job in raising the level of awareness for the need to reform health care, all of these groups have. But they have done it in a very productive way. They have worked over the past year and half with Senator Perata to craft a comprehensive reform bill that sets the stage for the rest of the nation to follow, a comprehensive reform bill that says that if you are a poor person in CA and don’t have health care insurance you deserve the right to full health care coverage. A comprehensive reform bill that says if you are a middle class family in California and have health care, you need not worry how much you pay out of pocket, you need not worry if your health insurance company is going to take you to the cleaners because there are protections for you. We are going to lower the cost of health care, if not, keep them from continuing to escalate. We’re going to make sure that insurance companies don’t cherry pick who their customers will be. Whether you have a preexisting condition or not, this bill says clearly you must be offered health care insurance.

And so we’re very proud to stand here and say that Senator Perata and I agree not on one, not on two, not on three concepts, but on over 100 or so pages of language embedded in this bill that represents the best we have to offer. A bill that went through various legislative hearings, was put to the task, was put through the grinder, and here is the final product, AB 8. A bill that speaks loud and clear about California, about its future about the hope and promise of many people who live each and every day not knowing whether or not they have adequate health care coverage. That’s what we’re doing with AB 8, a bill that embraces the values of not only good will and good health care coverage but says the reason we have a health care system is that we can take care of the people that need it when they need it the most, that we need to focus on those things that are important. And yes, if you look through the bill you will notice in our view that this is a compromise bill, the best compromise we can craft as Democrats, that we can put before the Governor’s desk and say yes this is a compromise, but it’s a compromise we can be proud of. A compromise that took a look at the Governor’s proposal, took aspects from his proposal, and put them into this bill as a means to extend goodwill to the Governor in the hope that he can finally put his signature on what we believe is going to set California apart from every other state in this nation. I truly believe if and when the Governor signs AB 8 California will set the stage once again to be a leader on health care reform to show Congress that it is time for them too to act and do something to protect the people of this country.”