Gas Price Bill Could Come With High Costs Away From The Pump

Public News Service-PA
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/26495-1

(05/17/12) HARRISBURG, Penn. - Supporters say it could save Pennsylvanians money at the pump, but health advocates are waving a red flag. They caution that a gas-price bill scheduled to be debated by a U.S. House committee today comes with a far higher price tag: human health.

The Gasoline Regulations Act(H.B. 4471) would put a panel in place that could reduce Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on greenhouse gas and sulfur emissions from refineries. Ultimately, it could lower air-quality standards for ozone.

Peter Iwanowicz, head of the American Lung Association Healthy Air Campaign, says his group surveyed likely voters in Pennsylvania about the issue.

"We specifically asked whether the EPA should tighten standards to provide cleaner-burning gasoline, and 60 percent of likely voters want stronger standards there."

Iwanowicz says oil producers see the legislation as another chance to increase production and record high profits.

"Big oil has been looking for over two decades to inject the feasibility and cost test into this process. They've been turned back by EPA; they've been turned back by Congress; they've been turned back, in fact, by a Supreme Court decision."

Factors to consider rise above a cheaper gallon of gas, he adds.

"Air pollution makes people sick; it cuts lives short. The last thing we need right now, particularly in Pennsylvania, is a roll-back in clean air protection or blocking of EPA setting new standards to protect public health."

Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield, a co-sponsor of the bill, calls it a reality check on the impact federal regulations can have at the pump. Iwanowicz says a more accurate description of the measure is "a wish list for Big Oil."

Sen. Toomey strikes out at baseball games across PA

Keystone Progress calls him "Designated Hitter for the insurance industry."

YORK, PA – On Tuesday night, Keystone Progress will commemorated Sen. Toomey’s record on the Affordable Care Act with a personal baseball card highlighting his “stats” at the York Revolution opening game in York.  This was one of many similar events organized in support of the ACA.  

“Senator Toomey is an ace for the insurance lobby,” said Keystone Progress Executive Director Michael Morrill. “He voted against the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurance companies to provide clear information on health benefits, awards tax credits to small businesses to provide health insurance for employees, and prohibits health plans from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.”

The mock baseball card summarizes Toomey's career in baseball terms. 

• His position? "Designated Hitter for Insurance Lobby" 
• Throws? "Far Right"                       
• Bats? "Far Right"
• His career highlight? Opposing the ACAwhich would allow insurers to drop coverage for people when they get sick; allow insurers to charge women mor for health insurance; and letting 2.5 million young adults go without health insurance."

The card encourages readers to "Take action at www.BaseballHealthcare.com."

“Toomey is throwing a curveball to York residents, who would benefit from the Affordable Care Act through added consumer protections from insurance company abuses," added Morrill.

Keystone Progress has already distributed thousands of similar cards outside baseball games in Harrisburg, Allentown, Lancaster and York.  There will be similar events in other communities in the next few months.

New Study Links Autism With the Typical American Diet

(04/30/12) HARRISBURG, Pa. - The typical American diet may be linked to the epidemic of autism in children in the U.S., according to a new study published online in the journal Clinical Epigenetics. 

David Wallinga, senior adviser in science, food and health at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, says unhealthy diets interfere with the body's ability to eliminate toxic chemicals, increasing the risk for long-term health problems like autism.

"We're not pretending that it's not complex. It is. But the important thing to realize is that these environmental and nutritional factors are critical, that they work together, and that ultimately a lot of them are preventable causes of autism."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 13 percent of eight-year-olds in Pennsylvania exhibit signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Wallinga says one example of the link between nutrition and autism is that highly-processed and sweetened foods can affect a body's ability to detoxify.

"People who consume high-fructose corn syrup can develop problems with mineral deficiencies, and these mineral deficiencies in turn can make their bodies have more problems with getting rid of contaminates in their bodies."

Wallinga says that, to reduce the risk, children and pregnant women should focus on a diet that's higher in antioxidants and needed minerals.

"If you've got enough calcium in your diet, it's going to protect you from absorbing lead, and concurrently if you are calcium deficient, then you're going to absorb more lead in your gut, and therefore have more lead in your bloodstream."

The IATP study follows two others recently published, one linking autism to obesity during pregnancy and another showing that the rate of autism spectrum disorders increased by nearly 80 percent from 2002 to 2008.

You can find all the details on this latest study at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy website, www.iatp.org or at www.clinicalepigeneticsjournal.com.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/26136-1

Keystone Progress Daily Funnies- our new feature

Did you miss the "Texas ultrasound" Doonesbury comics because your local paper refused to run them?
Do you like progressive political cartoons?
Then you need to subscribe to the Keystone Progress Daily Funnies.

Keystone Progress has obtained the rights to Doonesbury and other progressive comics.  Every morning at www.DailyFunnies.us you can see today's Doonesbury and other daily funnies.

Or you can get them delivered free every day via email.  Just visit our site and fill in the subscription information.

As we like to say, in this crazy world,  "If you're not laughing, you're not paying attention."

Video from Scranton's Affordable Care Act Birthday Party

Two Years Later: The Benefits of the Affordable Care Act for Pennsylvania

For too long, too many hardworking Americans paid the price for policies that handed free rein to insurance companies and put barriers between patients and their doctors. The Affordable Care Act gives hardworking families in Pennsylvania the security they deserve. The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition. 

All Americans will have the security of knowing that they don’t have to worry about losing coverage if they’re laid off or change jobs.  And insurance companies now have to cover your preventive care like mammograms and other cancer screenings.  The new law also makes a significant investment in State and community-based efforts that promote public health, prevent disease and protect against public health emergencies. 

Health reform is already making a difference for the people of Pennsylvania by:

Providing new coverage options for young adults
Health plans are now required to allow parents to keep their children under age 26 without job-based coverage on their family’s coverage, and, thanks to this provision, 2.5 million young people have gained coverage nationwide. As of June 2011, 64,798 young adults in Pennsylvania gained insurance coverage as a result of the new health care law.

Making prescription drugs affordable for seniors
Thanks to the new health care law, 247,686 people with Medicare in Pennsylvania received a $250 rebate to help cover the cost of their prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole in 2010. In 2011, 235,820 people with Medicare received a 50 percent discount on their covered brand-name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole. This discount resulted in an average savings of $662 per person, and a total savings of $156,108,903 in Pennsylvania. By 2020, the law will close the donut hole.

Covering preventive services with no deductible or co-pay
In 2011, 1,509,076 people with Medicare in Pennsylvania received free preventive services – such as mammograms and colonoscopies – or a free annual wellness visit with their doctor. And 54 million Americans with private health insurance gained preventive service coverage with no cost-sharing, including 236,3000 in Pennsylvania.

Providing better value for your premium dollar through the 80/20 Rule
Under the new health care law, insurance companies must provide consumers greater value by spending generally at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care and quality improvements instead of overhead, executive salaries or marketing. If they don’t, they must provide consumers a rebate or reduce premiums. This means that 3,421,000 Pennsylvania residents with private insurance coverage will receive greater value for their premium dollars.

Scrutinizing unreasonable premium increases
In every State and for the first time under Federal law, insurance companies are required to publicly justify their actions if they want to raise rates by 10 percent or more. Pennsylvania has received $5.3 million under the new law to help fight unreasonable premium increases.

Removing lifetime limits on health benefits
The law bans insurance companies from imposing lifetime dollar limits on health benefits – freeing cancer patients and individuals suffering from other chronic diseases from having to worry about going without treatment because of their lifetime limits. Already, 4,582,000 residents, including 1,769,000 women and 1,136,000 children, are free from worrying about lifetime limits on coverage. The law also restricts the use of annual limits and bans them completely in 2014.

Creating new coverage options for individuals with pre-existing conditions
As of the end of 2011, 4,567 previously uninsured residents of Pennsylvania who were locked out of the coverage system because of a pre-existing condition are now insured through a new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan that was created under the new health reform law. To learn more about the plan available in Pennsylvania, check here.

Supporting Pennsylvania’s work on Affordable Insurance Exchanges
Pennsylvania has received $34.8 million in grants for research, planning, information technology development, and implementation of Affordable Insurance Exchanges.

• $1 million in Planning Grants:  This grant provides Pennsylvania the resources needed to conduct the research and planning necessary to build a better health insurance marketplace and determine how its exchange will be operated and governed. Learn how the funds are being used in Pennsylvania here. 
• $33.8 million in Exchange Establishment Grants:  These grants are helping States continue their work to implement key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Learn how the funds are being used in Pennsylvania here.

Preventing illness and promoting health
Since 2010, Pennsylvania has received $29.6 million in grants from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act. This new fundwas created to support effective policies in Pennsylvania, its communities, and nationwide so that all Americans can lead longer, more productive lives.

Increasing support for community health centers
The Affordable Care Act increases the funding available to community health centers in all 50 states, including the 236 existing community health centers in Pennsylvania. Health centers in Pennsylvania have received $34.2 million to create new health center sites in medically underserved areas, enable health centers to increase the number of patients served, expand preventive and primary health care services, and support major construction and renovation projects. 

Strengthening partnerships with Pennsylvania
The law gives states support for their work to build the health care workforce, crack down on fraud, and support public health.  So far, Pennsylvania has received more than $128.2 million from the Affordable Care Act. Examples of Affordable Care Act grants not outlined above to Pennsylvania include:

• $312,000 to support the National Health Service Corps,by assisting Pennsylvania in repaying educational loans of health care professionals in return for their practice in health professional shortage areas.
• $6.8 million for health professions workforce demonstration projects, which will help low income individuals receive training and enter health care professions that face shortages.
• $880,000 to support teaching health centers, creating new residency slots in community health centers.
• $3.3 million for the expansion of the Physician Assistant Training Program (PDF – 66 KB), a five-year initiative to increase the number of physician assistants in the primary care workforce.
• $2.5 million for school-based health centers, to help clinics expand and provide more health care services such as screenings to students.
• $1 million to support outreach to eligible Medicare beneficiaries about their benefits.
• $191,000 for Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, organizations run by and for families with children with special health care needs.
• $933,000 to support the Personal Responsibility Education Program,to educate youth on both abstinence and contraception for the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.
• $5.2 million for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. These programs bring health professionals to meet with at-risk families in their homes and connect families to the kinds of help that can make a real difference in a child’s health, development, and ability to learn - such as health care, early education, parenting skills, child abuse prevention, and nutrition.

Support the Affordable Care Act

As we prepare to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act, Keystone Progress Education Fund is joining with Know Your Care preparing events and actions across Pennsylvania, leading up to the anniversary on Friday, March 23rd. We’ve been working with our partners to capitalize on this great opportunity to make sure that people understand the benefits that are now available to them as a result of the law and to celebrate the millions of Americans who are already benefiting.

We’re asking people to join us by signing our online petition to support healthcare reform: “I support the Affordable Care Act in Pennsylvania because no government or corporation should deny my rights to quality, affordable health care.”

We are partnering with dozens of organizations to host educational and celebratory actions that are targeted at Pennsylvania citizens who will benefit from the law.

From a trip to the White House on Friday by 150 Pennsylvanians organized by Keystone Progress, to events organized by PennAction in Bucks County and the NEPA Area Labor Federation, our members and allies are spreading the word about the Affordable Care Act and the many benefits it provides.

Our message throughout the week is that #HealthCareWorks, and we’ll be using the stories of real people to educate their peers about the benefits of the law. Follow us on Twitter at @KnowYourCarePA

• Health care works for women, children, seniors – everyone. More than 86 million Americans received preventive care  such as mammograms and colonoscopies for free in 2011.

• Health care works for young adults: 2.5 million young adults are now insured because of the new health care law.

• Health careworks for seniors: 3.6 million Medicare beneficiaries saved more than $2.1 billion on prescription drugs because of the new health care law.

• Health care works for those with pre-existing conditions. Expanded coverage for those with pre-existing conditions: Nearly 50,000 Americans who were denied coverage now have insurance through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

• Health care works for small businesses: A growing number of businesses offering health care coverage are taking advantage of tax credits available under the law.

Take your stand to support Healthcare Reform by signing our petition or attending one or more events across Pennsylvania.

In Celebration of Healthcare Reform,

Mike, Jamie, Dan, David
For the Keystone Progress Education Fund Team

A Long, Drawn Out Affair for PA Allergy Sufferers

(03/19/12) HARRISBURG, Pa. - Their noses are running, their eyes are bloodshot... They are Pennsylvania's allergy sufferers, and for many of them, spring has arrived early, with all its burgeoning irritants.

Dr. Amanda Staudt, climate scientist with the National Wildlife Federation, says it's a byproduct of global warming, and this winter's warm weather will draw spring allergies out longer than usual.

"Because some of the trees are starting now and some of the trees won't get started until when they normally do, it's not going to be a great year for allergy sufferers."

She says the climate is also setting up conditions in which more kinds of trees that cause allergies can take root.

"The warmer temperatures could allow significant expansion of the habitat suitable for oaks and hickories, which are two highly-allergenic tree species. Pennsylvania is one of the states where we expect there to be a significant increase in these highly-allergenic trees, if global warming continues unchecked."

Staudt says another reality of our current climate is the financial fallout.

"Allergies and asthma already cost the United States more than $32 billion annually in direct health-care costs and lost productivity. We expect that this will only become more of a problem as more people have to resort to medication and other measures to treat their allergies."

Staudt says the situation will be even worse for those with fall allergies. She says the conditions are ideal for ragweed, the chief culprit for allergies later in the year.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/25430-1

Disability rights group puts Coomonwealth on notice about Voter Registration Act violations

The Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) has put the Pennsylvania Department of State on notice that it is in violation of the National Voter Registration Act (see entire letter below), especially in terms of complying with the rights of persons with disabilities.


The Commonwealth has a poor record of complying with the NVRA.  This appears to be one more component of a system which tries to limit voter eligibility, either by design or neglect.

===============

February 22, 2012

BY FAX AND FIRST CLASS MAIL

Carol Aichele

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Pennsylvania Department of State

302 North Office Building

401 North Street

Harrisburg, PA  17120-0500

Fax:  717-787-1734

Re: Notice of Non-Compliance with Section 7 of the

National Voter Registration Act

Dear Secretary Aichele:

On behalf of the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN), the organization designated by the Commonwealth under federal law to protect the rights of and advocate for people with disabilities, I am submitting this notice pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-9(b)(1) to advise the Department of State (DOS) that it is in violation of Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).  As detailed below, DOS has violated the NVRA by failing to:  (1) designate as mandatory voter registration agencies (VRAs) all disability services offices in the Commonwealth, and (2) assure that disability services offices that are designated as VRAs fully comply with the requirements of the NVRA.

Section 7 of the NVRA requires, inter alia, that Pennsylvania designate as mandatory VRAs "all offices in the State that provide State-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities."  42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(2)(B).  As VRAs, disability services offices must:  (1) distribute voter registration forms; (2) assist applicants to complete those forms; and (3) accept completed forms and forward them to the appropriate election official.  42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a)(4)(A).  These services must be provided in the person's home if the VRA provides disability services in the person's home.  42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a)(4)(B).  Voter registration applications must be offered with each application for assistance, each recertification or renewal, and each change of address unless the individual declines the opportunity to register in writing.  42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a)(6)(A)(i).  Finally, disability services offices must provide individuals who want to register to vote with the same assistance to complete the application as those offices provide to complete their own forms, unless the applicant refuses assistance.  42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a)(6)(C).

A. Pennsylvania's Failure to Designate All Disability

Services Offices as Mandatory VRAs.

Many disability services offices (i.e., agencies that primarily provide services to people with disabilities that are funded by the Commonwealth) are not considered by DOS to be mandatory VRAs and, therefore, do not engage in any of the voter registration activities required by Section 7 of the NVRA.  Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare (DPW), the state agency that funds most services for people with disabilities, does not provide disability services directly other than through a few state-operated institutions.  Instead, DPW or its subcontractors pay private agencies to provide almost all disability services.  For instance:

§     DPW provides state funds to county MH/ID programs to provide com­munity services to people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.  The counties, in turn, pass on much of those funds to private entities to provide a range of disability services.  Many of these private entities not only provide services, but also assist their clients to apply for services and to pursue recertification and renewal. It is our understanding that these private entities do not offer service recipients voter registration opportunities.

§     DPW contracts with a private entity, MAXIMUS, to take applications for five Medical Assistance-funded home and community based waivers.  MAXIMUS assists the individuals with those applications, including submitting the necessary paperwork to the County Assistance Offices for financial eligibility determinations.  It is our understanding that MAXIMUS does not offer applicants voter registration opportunities.

§     DPW contracts with many private agencies to provide Supports Coordination and direct care services to people who receive services under the Medical Assistance Waivers and Act 150 program administered by the Office of Long Term Living.  With the exceptions of the Centers for Independent Living, it is our understanding that these private agencies do not offer service recipients voter registration opportunities.

Any dispute that these DPW-funded disability services offices do not comply with the NVRA has been laid to rest by DPW.  In response to a request submitted pursuant to the Right to Know Law, DPW confirmed that its contracts with private agencies do not include "any provision that commits the contractor to be a VRA."

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed a lawsuit against Rhode Island, alleging that it violated Section 7 of the NVRA.  In a Consent Decree to resolve that lawsuit, Rhode Island agreed that all offices that provide state-funded disability services, "including those operated by private entities on the state's behalf, ... must be designated as ‘voter registration agencies.’"  United States v. Rhode Island, Civil Action No. 1:11-cv-00113-S, Consent Decree at 5 (D.R.I. Mar. 18, 2011), available at http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/nvra/ri_nvra_cd.pdf.  The Consent Decree required Rhode Island's Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals to amend its contracts with private entities who are engaged in providing services to people with disabilities "to ensure that they provide voter registration opportunities as required by Section 7 of the NVRA."  Id. at 11-12.

Pennsylvania cannot avoid its obligations under the NVRA simply because the responsibility to provide state-funded disability services is delegated to local or even private entities.  See United States v. New York, 700 F. Supp. 2d 186, 205 (N.D.N.Y. 2010).  Pennsylvania must assure that local and private entities that provide state-funded disability services implement the voter registration requirements mandated by Section 7 of the NVRA.

B. Pennsylvania's Failure to Assure that Disability Services

Offices Identified as VRAs Comply with their Obligations

Aside from Pennsylvania's failure to designate all disability services offices as mandatory VRAs, Pennsylvania has also failed to assure that disability services offices that are designated as VRAs comply with the requirements of Section 7 of the NVRA.

In Fiscal Year 2010-11, there were 534,000 persons receiving mental health services (including nearly 124,500 using community mental health funds and nearly 380,400 using Medical Assistance funds) and nearly 51,000 persons receiving services for intellectual disabilities or autism.  Governor's Executive Budget 2011-12 at E35.4335.44.  Most of these individuals must have their re-eligibility certified annually.  Yet, DOS's Report to the General Assembly on Voter Registration indicates that fewer than 45,000 individuals were offered voter preference forms by the County MH/MR Programs.  DOS, 2010 Administration of Voter Registration in Pennsylvania: Report to the General Assembly App. G (June 2011).  Plainly, there are a large number of DPW clients who have disabilities who are not offered voter registration opportunities in accordance with the NVRA. The data raise additional questions about compliance.  DOS's 2010 Report shows that about 40,500 of the approximately 45,000 persons offered voter registration by County MH/MR Programs declined the offers.  The same report indicates that 22,350 of the 25,000 persons offered voter registration by "Disability Agencies" declined the offers.  This would suggest that County MH/MR Offices and the Disability Agencies registered more than 7,000 voters in 2010.  DOS's Voter Registration by County breakdown, however, shows that only 670 individuals were registered by the County MH/MR Programs and Disability Agencies.

Disability services offices that receive funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) also appear not to comply with the NVRA.  PDE funds local school districts to provide education and other services to students with disabilities.  PDE's Basic Education Circulars (BECs) indicate that schools should discuss voter registration with students with disabilities who have an Individualized Program Plan (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or service agreements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and 22 Pa. Code Ch. 15.  The BECs, however, allow parents to decide whether to include voter registration as part of the students' IEPs or service agreements.  Moreover, the BECs do not require school districts to have students or parents sign declinations forms or otherwise track whether registration was offered unless the students agree to have voter registration included in their IEPs and service agreements.  Not surprising, the evidence suggests that few students with disabilities are offered voter registration opportunities.  In 2009, only 22 special education students registered to vote according to DOS data.

C. DRN's Request to Remedy These Violations

In requiring state-funded disability services offices to act as VRAs, Congress recognized that people with disabilities are underrepresented among voters.  Since these individuals frequently are poor and lack access to many of the mainstream opportunities for voter registration (such as driver registration), Congress required those agencies with frequent, one-to-one contact with individuals with disabilities to offer them the opportunity to register to vote.

For the past several years, DRN and other advocacy groups have advocated that DOS take the steps necessary to remedy the violations described in this letter.  Despite meeting after meeting, our advocacy efforts have yielded no concrete action.  In the absence of any remedy from DOS, DRN has spent a great deal of time, efforts, and resources to educate Pennsylvanians with disabilities, their families, and advocates about their right to register to vote and to encourage them to exercise that right.

Our efforts to educate people with disabilities about voter registration are not a substitute for enforcement of the NVRA.  Accordingly, DRN requests that DOS develop a comprehensive plan to remedy Pennsylvania's non-compliance with the NVRA.  We are willing to work with you to develop such a plan.  If DOS is unwilling to do so, DRN will consider our other alternatives available under the NVRA.

Sincerely,

Carol Horowitz

Managing Attorney

An open letter: "Yes, Virginia. There is a state more demeaning to women than you."

You’ve probably heard about the Virginia ultrasound bill that has been in the news.

But did you realize Pennsylvania has a bill pending that’s even worse? The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is poised to take up HB1077, the disingenuously titled “Women’s Right to Know Act”.

Are you ready to stop the cruel, demeaning attacks on women in Pennsylvania? Click here and urge your representative to vote NO on HB 1077 and stop this demeaning andunnecessary bill from becoming law in Pennsylvania. 

CONSUMERS DECRY CHANGES TO PHILADELPHIA'S COURTS

Changes implemented will likely weaken the ability for Pennsylvanians to obtain justice

HARRISBURG, PA – Yesterday, the First Judicial District Court of Pennsylvania announced several upcoming changes to the legal processes of the historically fair and nationally respected Complex Litigation Center (CLC).  

The rule changes will limit consolidation of mass tort litigation at the courts' civil trial division. Thus it arbitrarily abolishes punitive damages and directs out of state victims to avoid Philadelphia courts.  Mass tort litigation at the CLC has been praised for years by Philadelphia and Pennsylvania's own citizens to allow for fairness in the courtroom when trying to hold large corporations accountable for negligence.

“This move by the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania is nothing more than caving in to powerful corporate-funded lobbying groups,” said Michael Morrill, executive director of Keystone Progress. “Pennsylvanians lose and corporations win under this rule change.”

This decision may have a negative impact on current cases pending in the Philadelphia court system, including cases involving Bayer's birth control and acne drugs Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. As of November 2011, there were 10,000 plus cases nation-wide pending in which thousands of women from across the country have claimed their health has been severely damaged by Bayer’s birth control drugs Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. The alleged health impacts have included death, increased risk of blood clots and gallbladder surgery.  Since Bayer’s headquarters are located in Pennsylvania, many women have filed in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia’s CLC. The CLC has been nationally recognized to efficiently and fairly handle similar cases in the past.

At heart of the issue of this decision is that justice should be blind. The judicial system should not have to bend to the criticism of large, powerful lobbying groups like the American Tort Reform Association.

The American Tort Reform Association or ATRA, an extreme, conservative lobbying firm who has chipped away at consumers' rights for decades, hailed the decision as "very good news." ATRA’s mission is to limit an individual’s ability to hold corporations accountable, even when their products have caused serious physical, mental, or financial harm to consumers. Among ATRA's many supporters are tobacco and pharmaceutical companies, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the nation's largest lobbying firm, spending five times more money on lobbying efforts than its next closest competitor, Exxon Mobil.  

PA #2 with most toxic air pollution from Power Plants

Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida Lead List of “Toxic 20” States with Most Toxic Air Pollution from Power PlantsWorst States: OH, PA, FL, KY, MD, IN, MI, WV, GA, NC, SC, AL, TX, VA, TN, MO, IL, WI, NH, IA

WASHINGTON (July 20, 2011) — Residents of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida live in states with the most toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants, according to an analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The study used publicly-available data in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The analysis, entitled “Toxic Power: How Power Plants Contaminate Our Air and States” was jointly released today by NRDC and Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR).

Among the key findings:

• Nearly half of all the toxic air pollution reported from industrial sources in the United States comes from coal- and oil-fired power plants.
• Power plants are the single largest industrial source of toxic air pollution in 28 states and the District of Columbia.

“Power plants are the biggest industrial toxic air polluters in our country, putting children and families at risk by dumping deadly and dangerous poisons into the air we breathe,” said Dan Lashof, Climate Center Director at NRDC. “Tougher standards are long overdue. Members of Congress who consider blocking toxic pollution safeguards should understand that this literally will cost American children and families their health and lives.”

Despite the health benefits of reducing toxic pollution from power plants, some polluters and members of Congress are seeking to block EPA’s efforts to update public health protections. Last week, two House Committees voted for amendments by Ed Whitfield (R-KY)/Mike Ross (D-AR) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) to block for at least a year the EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics standard. These amendments could move to the House floor as early as this week.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fred Upton (R-MI) has vowed to block EPA’s clean air safeguards. One of the nation’s biggest polluters, American Electric Power (AEP) based in Columbus, Ohio has drafted legislation to block the EPA and has argued against EPA’s current efforts.

The states on the “Toxic 20” list (from worst to best) are:

1. Ohio
2. Pennsylvania
3. Florida
4. Kentucky
5. Maryland
6. Indiana
7. Michigan
8. West Virginia
9. Georgia
10. North Carolina
11. South Carolina
12. Alabama
13. Texas
14. Virginia
15. Tennessee
16. Missouri
17. Illinois
18. Wisconsin
19. New Hampshire
20. Iowa

The EPA estimates that the reductions of toxic pollution required by the pending “Mercury and Air Toxics” standard would save as many as 17,000 lives every year by 2015 and prevent up to 120,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms. The safeguards also would avoid more than 12,000 emergency room and hospital visits and prevent 850,000 lost work days every year. These standards are expected to be finalized in November; the agency is taking public comments on its proposal until Aug. 4, 2011.

“Coal pollution is killing Americans,” said Lynn Ringenberg, MD, of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “It is America’s biggest source of toxic air pollution. Air toxics from coal-fired power plants cause cancer, birth defects, and respiratory illness. Just one of those air toxics, mercury, damages the developing brains of fetuses, infants, and small children. It robs our children of healthy neurological development and native intelligence.

“Poisonous power threatens the health of our kids and families. As a pediatrician for over thirty years, I urge us absolutely to support the EPA’s efforts to reduce the health threat from coal.”

The 28 states in which power plants are the leading source of toxic air pollution reported to the TRI are: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

ABOUT THE DATA

The EPA’s Toxic Release inventory, known as the TRI, is a national database of toxic emissions self-reported by industrial sources. This analysis compared TRI emissions from the electric utilities sector to those from other sectors and ranked sources by total emissions by sector. Releases are calculated and self-reported by covered entities. Emissions of key power plant pollutants are reported to the TRI, including mercury, hydrochloric acid, and other hazardous metals.

Top emitting power plants were identified based on toxic emissions reported to TRI. Power plant ownership information was drawn from “Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States (2010).” Data on pollution control systems at specific plants was obtained from EPA’s National Electric Energy Data System Database v.4.10 (2010).

For the full methodology, see the analysis “Toxic Power: How Power Plants Contaminate Our Air and States,” which can be found here: http://docs.nrdc.org/air/air_11072001.asp.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org

Today's News Clips, July 6, 2011

News Clips from America Votes

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

News Clips

COLORADO: Pot, booze analogy sparks CO ballot complaint

Associated Press

DENVER—Should a question on 2012 ballots about legalizing marijuana compare pot to alcohol? A state title board is deciding the question Wednesday.

A marijuana activist challenging proposed language for the ballot measure says it's a flawed description because there's no limit on how much alcohol people can buy, but the ballot proposals suggest a marijuana possession limit. The objector says pot should be compared to medical marijuana already in Colorado, not alcohol.

Other legalization supporters argue it's too much of a stretch to think Colorado voters would approve pot with no limits.

The state title board is charged with clearing language for possible ballot measures before supporters can start gathering enough signatures to make the ballot.

FLORIDA: Gov. Rick Scott's net worth drops by $115 million

Michael Bender and Adam Smith for the St. Petersburg Times

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott's net worth dropped by $115 million in 2010, but his income soared nearly 40 percent in the sluggish economy.

The hospital executive-turned-investor earned $11.5 million from investment income, interest and consulting fees, according to a recently filed financial disclosure form.

That's more than the $8.3 million he reported in 2009 and the $3.7 million he earned in 2008.

Read More: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/article1178961.ece

MICHIGAN: State to fight ruling against ban on race in college admissions

Jennifer Chambers, Robert Snell and Oralandar Brand-Williams for the Detroit News

Detroit— Michigan's voter-approved ban on race and gender preferences in college admissions and government hiring was overturned by a federal appeals court Friday, a ruling the state quickly vowed to appeal.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said he will fight the decision that struck down the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative by making a formal request for a rehearing with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

It's a move that will keep the initiative in place — at least temporarily.

In a 2-1 decision, an appeals court panel ruled that the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The judges, in their 59-page ruling, in particular objected to the inclusion of the voter-approved ban in the Michigan Constitution.

"Proposal 2 reorders the political process in Michigan to place special burdens on minority interests," said Judges R. Guy Cole Jr. and Martha Craig Daughtrey.

Read More: http://detnews.com/article/20110702/POLITICS02/107020373/State-to-fight-ruling-against-ban-on-race-in-college-admissions#ixzz1RKVgerFo

MICHIGAN: Booze, cigarette tax targeted

Paul Egan for the Detroit News

Lansing — Now that the state budget is balanced, some Michigan lawmakers say it's time for tax cuts, including cuts to the "sin taxes" on booze and cigarettes.

"It's amazing to me that government thinks that alcohol and tobacco are so bad, but government is so tied to the revenue," said Sen. Joe Hune, R-Whitmore Lake.

In a 38-0 vote, the Senate recently approved Hune's bill to repeal a 1.85 percent tax on the sale of liquor for off-premises consumption.

The bill is now before the House.

Read More: http://detnews.com/article/20110704/POLITICS02/107040331/Booze--cigarette-tax-targeted#ixzz1RKVsIyUh

MINNESOTA: 'Same gulf' divides Dayton, GOP

Rachel Stassen-Berger, Eric Roper and Mike Kaszuba for the Star Tribune

Hopes for a deal to end the state budget stalemate dimmed Tuesday, with Republicans saying they have reverted to a $34 billion, no-new-revenue budget proposal.

"That's the only thing that we have on the table right now," House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, said after emerging from a brief resumption of negotiations after the holiday break.

DFL Gov. Mark Dayton confirmed that after meeting with GOP leaders, "We've got the same gulf between us that we've had all along." Dayton has repeatedly said that a $34 billion budget is "draconian" and wants to spend about $2 billion more.

Read More: http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/125040619.html

NEVADA: Nevada Supreme Court rejects open ballot in special election in 2nd Congressional District

Anjeanette Damon for the Las Vegas Sun

One Republican and one Democrat will vie in the September special election to replace U.S. Rep. Dean Heller, under a ruling today by the Nevada Supreme Court that rejected Secretary of State Ross Miller’s open ballot rules.

In a 6-1 decision, the court agreed the state law governing the special election for the U.S. House is ambiguous. But the court decided that if the 2003 Legislature had intended the special election be a free-for-all, it would have explicitly said so when it originally wrote the law.

In the absence of a strong legislative record, the court deferred to past practice and other state statutes that allow political parties to nominate their candidates. The court also cited the fact the secretary of state’s office never wrote the required regulations for conducting a special election.

Read More: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jul/05/nevada-supreme-court-rejects-open-ballot-special-e/

NEW HAMPSHIRE: City tax caps back in place as Lynch signs new law

Tom Fahey for the Union Leader

CONCORD - Manchester's tax cap, rejected by the New Hampshire Supreme Court in early 2010, is back in place.

Gov. John Lynch signed a bill Tuesday that clears the way for cities, towns and school districts to adopt caps on local tax increases, and restores caps that may have had legal problems.

Senate Bill 2, which took effect immediately, states that any tax cap that voters elected to make part of their charter is now valid, whether or not it was legal to adopt the cap at the time it passed.

Read More: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110705/NEWS06/110709945/-1/news06

NEW MEXICO: Susana Poll Numbers Looking Good

Steve Terrell for the Santa Fe New Mexican

In the most recent numbers released by PPP, Gov. Susana Martinez is enjoying a 52 percent approval rate, with 37 percent of those polled disapproving.

In the PPP blog, poll honcho Tom Jenson says, "Most of the Republicans elected Governor in Obama states last November have quickly become very unpopular. Not so in the case of New Mexico's Susana Martinez ... A female Hispanic Governor who's maintaining her popularity as she governs a blue state? Martinez would be at the top of my VP list for next year if I was a Republican strategist."

Of course, Jenson is not a GOP strategist. PPP is a Democratic polling firm.

Read More: http://roundhouseroundup.blogspot.com/

OHIO: New lobbyists in Ohio have strong Republican ties

Mark Naymik for the Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When Republicans swept Democrats from office in Columbus last November, they triggered a political ritual among the Capitol Square crowd.

Special interests -- from business associations to gaming companies -- rushed to hire lobbyists with ties to the new government. Lobbying firms beefed up their rosters to feature GOP players. And political operatives in the winning party set out their shingles.

More than 375 new lobbyists have registered with the state since Republican John Kasich defeated Democrat Gov. Ted Strickland and the GOP regained control of the House and improved its grip on the Senate, according to a comparison of 2010 and 2011 lobbying registration rolls.

Read More: http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2011/07/new_lobbyists_in_ohio_have_str.html

PENNSYLVANIA: Another Republican Passes on Casey Challenge

Thomas Fitzgerald for the Philadelphia Inquirer

I'm just back from a camping trip to Paradox Lake, N.Y., and am catching up on emails and news that I missed while out of range of cellular networks and, for that matter, electricity.

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Jr. continues to look even more like a bright spot for Democrats in 2012 as they struggle against an unkind map to keep control of the U.S. Senate, as another leading Republican decided not to challenge the freshman.

That's despite the recent GOP-red trends in the state, a putrid economy and Casey's close association with some of the Obama administration policies that have proved unpopular here. Top Republicans, led by state chairman Rob Gleason, continue to argue that the race is winnable, though the party has not been able to find a top-tier challenger to Casey, who is personally popular, polls say.

Read More: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/Another-Republican-Passes-on-Casey-Challenge.html

WISCONSIN: State budget cuts transit funding, but it could have been worse

Larry Sandler for the Journal Sentinel

Less bus service. Higher fares. No more regional transit authorities. No more planning for new commuter rail lines. And dim prospects for new public transit funding.

That's what the new state budget could mean for transit systems across Wisconsin.

By this time next year, hundreds of thousands of Summerfest patrons may no longer be able to ride buses to the festival grounds. The rest of the year, many more area residents could have a harder time getting to work and school.

Read More: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/125060014.html

MONTANA: Hill, Bullock have biggest campaign war chests

Charles Johnson for the Billings Gazette

HELENA — Former former Republican U.S. Rep. Rick Hill and Democratic Attorney General Steve Bullock have stockpiled the most money of any 2012 gubernatorial candidates, although Bullock hasn't said whether he'll run for that office or for re-election.

Campaign reports filed Tuesday with the state political practices commissioner's office showed Hill had more money left in the bank than any candidate for governor, but only slightly more than Bullock.

Hill's cash-on-hand balance — the total amount raised minus the money spent — as of June 30 was $197,634 to Bullock's $196,439.

Since his entry into the race last fall, Hill has raised $285,686 to lead the pack, while Bullock, who has not announced for any office yet, has raised $230,554.

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_3af178c9-fbce-593f-b766-bc62c84e9419.html#ixzz1RKZ70ZTz

WASHINGTON: Sonntag stays put — won’t run for governor

Staff for the Seattle Post Intelligencer

Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag is staying put. The Democrat who sometimes endorses Republicans announced Monday that he will not run for governor.

“The Office of State Auditor continues to be a good fit and the place where I can best contribute and focus on my values: Advocating for open and accessible government; holding government accountable to citizens; valuing public employees as a primary resource,” Sonntag said in a statement.

Sonntag has long indicated interest in the state’s top executive position and put his name in the running when it was speculated that Gov. Chris Gregoire would be named solicitor general in the Obama administration.

Read More: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/07/05/sonntag-stays-put-wont-run-for-governor/

OREGON: Oregon businesses join with unusual allies to press for comprehensive immigration reform

Charles Pope for the Oregonian

WASHINGTON - With Congress edging back into the battle over immigration reform, the leading House proposal is drawing opposition from a surprising place - Oregon businesses.

The Coalition for a Working Oregon, an organization of 22 Oregon business groups is fighting the proposal, putting members at odds with both Republicans and some other business groups.

One of the leaders, Jeff Stone, executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, calls the legislation introduced by House Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Smith, R-Tex., "a recipe for disaster, not only for agriculture but for the national economy."

Read More: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/07/post_39.html

FLORIDA: Florida Watch Action ties Haridopolos to Scott in new video clip

Casey Levey-Baker for the Florida Independent

In a new YouTube clip titled “Mike Haridopolos–Pink Slip Puppet,” the progressive group Florida Watch Action uses a series of short sound bites to tie Florida Senate President and U.S. Senate hopeful Haridopolos to Gov. Rick Scott, specifically highlighting his positions on education funding, offshore drilling and high-speed rail. Check it out here: http://floridaindependent.com/38061/florida-watch-action-mike-haridopolos-rick-scott

MICHIGAN: Glenn: Companies Shouldn’t Hire Gays

Ed Brayton for the Michigan Messenger

Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, not only doesn’t think that gays and lesbians should be protected from discrimination, he thinks that companies should not hire them at all.

In an interview with Linda Harvey of Mission America, Glenn makes his argument on the basis of alleged health concerns…

Read More: http://michiganmessenger.com/50502/glenn-companies-shouldnt-hire-gays

MINNESOTA: The politics of the anti–gay marriage amendment: A primer

Andy Birkey for the Minnesota Independent

Activists on both sides of Minnesota’s anti–gay marriage amendment battle have made claims about the politics of the ballot initiative that don’t square with recent research on the issue. For example, conventional wisdom and assertions by DFLers that marriage amendments bolster Republican chances at the ballot box are not borne out by the data. On the other side, Claims that 31 states have passed marriage amendments by anti-gay marriage activists are also overblown. Here’s a primer on the political issues surrounding the proposed constitutional amendment.

Legalizing same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Minnesota. In 1971, the Minnesota Supreme Court held that Minnesota marriage laws, though not explicitly barring same-sex marriage, could be interpreted as limiting marriage to one man and one woman. In 1997, the DFL-controlled Minnesota Legislature passed the Defense of Marriage Act which said “lawful marriage may be contracted only between persons of the opposite sex” and explicitly bans “marriage between persons of the same sex.” Republican Gov. Arne Carlson signed it into law.

Read More: http://minnesotaindependent.com/82121/politics-minnesota-gay-marriage-ban-politics