Lawmaker Education Week and Fall CME Activity
This October’s Continuing Medical Education activity will focus on public health law and policy. Among other things, the fall conference will prepare health officers to build relationships with elected leaders and become stronger public health advocates for their communities. HOAC staff will be organizing a Lawmaker Education Week for health officers to engage and share information with their community’s elected representatives. Planning will take place throughout the fall, and the week itself will begin Monday, October 23.
US Climate and Health Alliance Launches State Policy Initiative
The US Climate and Health Alliance has launched the State Policy Initiative, which provides many tools to help public health leaders become more influential advocates for state and local climate policy. The site includes reference materials and other information that may be helpful in discussing the health aspects of climate change with policymakers.
Senate Republicans Fail to Repeal Affordable Care Act
After failing to pass “repeal and replace” and “repeal only,” the US Senate rejected a scaled-down plan to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the early hours of Friday Morning. The Health Care Freedom Act, also called a “skinny repeal,” would have repealed the ACA’s individual and employer mandates, among other provisions, and was estimated by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to increase the number of people who are uninsured by 15 million. With Senate Democrats being joined by three Republican senators in voting against the skinny repeal, Republican efforts to dismantle one of President Obama’s crown achievements appear to be derailed. For the foreseeable future, ACA is here to stay, as it is unclear how House and Senate Republicans can move forward, though the president has declared his intent to “let Obamacare fail.”
Legislature Adjourned
State lawmakers are adjourned for the summer and will reconvene the legislative session on August 21.