Are Unregulated Health Insurance Plans Good for #AZ Consumers?

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Healthcare forum

In the Health and Human Services Committee on Thursday, Feb 14, we are hearing a long list of bills including two about health insurance.

HB2375 would extend short-duration insurance to three years. This insurance is currently capped at one year because it is seen as a stop-gap measure for people who are between jobs or disconnected from insurance for some reason.

HB2376 relates to association health care plans for small businesses and sole proprietors. This bill allows them to band together and buy insurance as a group. A concern with this idea is regarding the quality of insurance that will be purchased and how that will impact workers who will be included under these plan.

Will association health plans cover essential health benefits, like the Affordable Care Act does? Will they cover people with pre-existing conditions? Will they have lifetime insurance caps? Will coverage be determined by the employer’s “deeply held religious beliefs”?

These association health insurance plans will NOT be regulated by the Arizona Department of Insurance. I fear that this will be Wild West Health Insurance, which will be cheap but not comprehensive.

We still have a problem in this country with medical bankruptcy. People buy the insurance they can afford, rather than the insurance they need. Cheap plans don’t offer full coverage and can leave patients in dire financial straits.

On the macro-economic level, these plans could lure people out of the Healthcare Marketplace and weaken the system.

If you are on Request to Speak at the AZLeg website, please offer an opinion on 2375 and 2376.

Blue Wave Washed over #AZLeg: Seven GOP Incumbents Lose Seats

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Arizona House Democratic Caucus, 54th Leg.

Since the 2018 Midterm Election, pundits have been judging the size and very existence of the predicted Blue Wave . To determine if the Blue Wave of newly elected Democrats was a tsunami or a just ripple, the media has focused primarily on Congressional and gubernatorial races–with little or no mention of state legislatures.

With voter turnout at 60%, there is no doubt that a Blue Wave washed over Arizona on Nov. 6, 2018. Democratic women won major victories: US Senate (Kyrsten Sinema), CD2 (Ann Kirkpatrick), Corporation Commission (Sandra Kennedy), Superintendent of Public Instruction (Kathy Hoffman), and Secretary of State (Katie Hobbs). The incumbent Republicans for three of these seats– Corporation Commission (Tom Forese), Superintendent of Public Instruction (Diane Douglas), and Secretary of State (Michelle Reagan)– all lost in the primary. Now, Democrats will hold those seats.

In the Arizona House, the Blue Wave was more of a tsunami. Seven Republican incumbents will not be returning to the Arizona Legislature in January 2019.

Continue reading Blue Wave Washed over #AZLeg: Seven GOP Incumbents Lose Seats

On Nov 6: Vote as if Your Rights Depend on It

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

Nov. 6, 2018 is a day that millions of Democrats have been waiting for and working toward for the past two years. Since President Trump’s election, people have been organizing and working hard toward nationwide Democratic victories in 2018. Every Presidential Tweet and every backward policy announcement made us cringe but also made us stronger in our resolve to take back our government and our country.

With door-to-door canvassing, postcards, and e-newsletters, my team has reached out to more than 80,000 LD9 voters. With social media, the reach is well over 100,000.

On Nov. 6, it is your turn. I hope you will consider voting to re-elect me– Pamela Powers Hannley– to the Arizona House of Representatives.

When I ran for office in 2016, I said I wanted be your voice—the voice of the people—in the Arizona Legislature. And that is exactly what I did.

I used my voice, my votes, my amendments, and my bills to fight for the rights and wellbeing of workers, patients, teachers, students, women and the underserved.

It’s time for the Arizona Legislature to fund the People’s To-Do list instead of the corporate wish list. It’s time that we funded education, healthcare, infrastructure and safety and security. That would economic development. Continue reading…

To learn more… about my plans and ideas, check out these blog posts links and related videos:

Pamela Powers Hannley: Your Voice in the Arizona House

Balanced Public Health Policy Should Be Legislature’s Goal (video)

LD9 Debate Reveals Stark Contrasts between Democrat & Republican Candidates (video)

Gosh Darn Podcast Interview with Rep. PPH Delves Deep into Education Views

Arizona Daily Star Endorses #LD9 Democrats (video)

#RedForEd: Don’t Get Mad. Get Even on Nov 6 (video)

Where I stand on the issues… check out these links for information and videos on specific issues.

Overall look at issues here.

Specifics about education and funding for it here and here.

Check out news stories and interviews here.

Many have endorsed me… check out this link.

As a progressive Democrat and a Clean Elections candidate, I accept no big money donations or dirty money. As a result, I am beholden only to you, the voters– and not to wealthy national donors or special interest groups.

I want to continue to be your voice– the voice of the people– in the Arizona House. Our work is not done. Please vote for my on Nov. 6, 2018. Thank you so much for your support.

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Healthcare & Equality: Two Big Events on Nov 1 (video)

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
ERA

When your state and your Congressional district are being targeted by both major political parties and several special interest groups, the days leading up to Election Day are fast-paced as national groups and speakers come to Arizona.

Nov. 1 is a big day for political events.

Tucsonans Talk Back to McSally & Trump Jr.

As Donald Trump Jr. stumps for Congresswoman Martha McSally in Maricopa County, Tucsonans will be protesting in front of her office on Broadway Blvd. Organized by Arizona Healthcare Voters, the purpose of the rally is to call out McSally’s lies about her votes on the Affordable Care Act and on healthcare in general. Media advisory here.

As the ranking member of the Arizona House Health Committee, I am happy to be participating in this event hosted by Arizona Healthcare Voters.

The US has the most expensive and least effective healthcare insurance system when compared to other developed countries. McSally and the Republican Party want to make our already overly complicated and expensive system even more restricted and more expensive. That is going in the wrong direction.

Come on down and tell McSally what you think of her record on healthcare, health insurance, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and more.

The organizers’ Facebook event is here.
https://www.facebook.com/events/429229150943449/

Equal Means Equal presents: The Equality Tour 2018

To gear up for Nov. 6 and for the 54th Session of the Arizona Legislature, the Equal Means Equal Equality Tour is stopping in Tucson on Nov. 1 and in Tempe in Nov. 3.

The directors of the movie “Equal Means Equal,” Kamala Lopez and Natalie White, will be in town for the event.

Come on down for a full evening of entertainment– dotted with a few speeches. I will be one of the speakers, along with LD9 Senate candidate Victoria Steele.

Continue reading Healthcare & Equality: Two Big Events on Nov 1 (video)

Arizona Daily Star Endorses #LD9 Democrats (video)

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
LD 9 Reps. Dr. Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley and Victoria Steele (State Senate candidate).

Several weeks ago, the three LD9 Democratic Party candidates– incumbent Reps. Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley and Senate candidate Victoria Steele–and Republican write-in candidate for Senate Randy Fleenor were interviewed by editors and reporters from the Arizona Daily Star, as part of their endorsement process.(For the second election in a row, Republican House challenger Ana Henderson didn’t participate in the interview.)

On October 17, 2018, the Arizona Daily Star formally endorsed the LD9 Democratic team. (They had endorsed Friese and Powers Hannley in 2016 also.) Here is their announcement:

Star Endorsements: Victoria Steele, Randy Friese, Pamela Powers Hannley in Arizona Legislative District 9 

The Star shot video clips of us after the interview.

 

LD9 Debate Reveals Stark Contrasts between Democrat & Republican Candidates (video)

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Ana Henderson and Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

Can’t decide how to vote in the November 6 election? If you live in Legislative District 9, check out the LD9 debate before casting your vote.

The debate video below reveals clear differences between the candidates on key issues such as the minimum wage, food security, the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), climate change, abortion, gun violence, and more. (Check out the Tucson Weekly story here.)

Five people are running for the three LD9 Legislative seats: incumbent Democrats Reps. Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley (me), Republican challenger Ana Henderson, and Senate candidates former Democratic representative Victoria Steele and Republican write-in candidate Randy Fleenor.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC) conducts candidate debates, videotapes them, and stores them on their website and YouTube channel. If you live in a district other than LD9, check out the CCEC archive for the other 2018 debate videos. For Southern Arizona Legislative Districts, here are links to debates for LD2, LD3, LD10, LD11, LD8, and LD14.  (LD9 video embedded below.)

Continue reading LD9 Debate Reveals Stark Contrasts between Democrat & Republican Candidates (video)

Balanced Public Health Policy Should Be Legislature’s Goal (video)

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act

This is the transcript of my opening remarks at the Arizona Public Health Association Conference on Oct. 3, 2018. A video of the speech is below.

It is an honor for me to address the Arizona Public Health Association, since I have a Masters in Public Health from the University of Arizona. I worked in health communication, medicine, public health and behavioral research for many years before deciding to run for the Arizona House in 2015.

In fact, it was my background in public health that prompted me to run for office. Many times since I moved to Arizona in 1981, I have found myself shouting at the radio or the TV or the newspaper or a social post about bad policy decisions made by the Arizona Legislature. Anybody else have that experience?

In the public health arena, the Legislature far too often makes short-term decisions to save a buck or make an ideological point, but in the long-term, these decisions cost money and lives. Do you remember Governor Jan Brewer’s Death Panels? Brewer knocked more than 250,000 adults off of Medicaid—including people on transplant waiting lists. That decision made national news as transplant patients began dying.

Another example of a short-term savings that caused long-term problems is the $80 million cut in childcare subsidies and preventive services for families in need. That recession-era funding sweep played a major role in Arizona’s foster care crisis. At its peak, nearly 19,000 Arizona children were in foster care. Most of those children were removed from their homes for “neglect”. Unfortunately, in Arizona, neglect is a catch-all term which could encompass anything from lack of reliable child care to drug abuse to domestic violence.

None of that $80 million in state funding for childcare has been restored. Why not? Because, of course, we have to cut taxes every year—regardless of the needs of the people.

Continue reading Balanced Public Health Policy Should Be Legislature’s Goal (video)

Pam Powers Hannley: Your Voice in the Arizona House

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

When I ran for office in 2016, I said I wanted be your voice—the voice of the people—in the Arizona Legislature. And that is exactly what I did.

I used my voice, my votes, my amendments, and my bills to fight for the rights and wellbeing of workers, patients, teachers, students, women and the underserved.

Protecting your family…

I was a strong voice for public health and affordable access to care during the negotiations and eventual passage of both the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act and dental therapy. I also co-sponsored a bill to allow Arizonans to buy-in to Medicaid (AHCCCS). This is a potentially cheaper option for folks who are struggling with the cost of health insurance. House Democrats will be proposing it again in 2019.

On budget night 2018, I proposed an amendment to appropriate $56 million in federal child care subsidies to fill the $80 million gap left after Republicans swept the funds during the Great Recession. Arizona House Republicans voted to leave those funds unspent; Arizona is the only state in the country that didn’t use those earmarked childcare funds. (I’ll try again in 2019.) I also backed a bill for tiered reimbursement for childcare subsidies. This bill, which was signed into law, and the $56 million in subsidies would go a long way to help Arizona families and children.

Protecting your rights…

Also on budget night, at around 4 a.m., I defended the rights of pregnant homeless women to have access to abortion and abortion referrals. I have seen young homeless women with infants on the streets of Tucson. The streets are no place for adults– let alone children and babies. Because we are a state that does very little to help women once their babies have been born, I believe we should expand access to contraception and all legal medical procedures and teach medically accurate sex education in the schools.

ERA
ERA advocates participated in the Together We Rise rally on opening day at the Arizona Legislature in 2018. Besides me on the far left, legislative candidates Victoria Steele (third from left) and Sharon Girard (far right) are also pictured above.

Two years in a row, I proposed ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Arizona. Arizona women won’t have equal pay for equal work without passage of the ERA.  Overall, women are paid roughly 78 cents on the dollar compared to men. Due to the intersectionality of race, class, ethnicity and gender,  African-American women, Native American women and Latinas are paid far less than white men. Latinas make roughly 55 cents per hour for every $1 earned by a white man. Tucson’s population is 41% Latino. Just think of the economic impact to our city and our region if Latinas were paid fairly and if they were offered quality education for themselves and their children. It doesn’t do our community, our state or our country to force people to live in poverty and sickness.

Continue reading Pam Powers Hannley: Your Voice in the Arizona House

Know Your Candidates: Early Voting Begins Aug 1 (video)

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

It’ go time, people. Today is July 26, 2018.

In five days, voter registration closes for the August 28 primary on July 30.

In seven days, early voting begins for the August 28 primary on August 1.

In 34 days, it will be Primary Election day on August 28.

It’s time for voters to get serious about making up their minds on who to vote for. Many news outlets– like the Arizona Republic and the Tucson Weekly— are compiling voter guides. (The link to the Republic’s guide is below. The Weekly’s will be published soon.) The state’s main Voter Education Guide, which you will receive in the US mail soon, is already available online here.

In addition to voter guides, organizations, nonprofits, and unions have released candidate statements and endorsements (linked below).

Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

For your consideration, I have compiled a list of my endorsements, ratings, awards and news clips– along with links to five organizations that have compiled candidate issue statements.

I am asking for your vote on or before the August 28, 2018 primary and again in the fall– on or before the November 6, 2018 general election.

I promised to be the voice of the people in the Arizona Legislature, and that’s exactly what I did. As a Progressive Democrat and a Clean Elections candidate, I am beholden to no one but you– the voters of Arizona. I accept no big-money donations from lobbyists, special interest groups or unions. Votes should decide our elections– not money.

In the 53rd Legislature, I voted my values and stood up for your rights and wellbeing. The People’s work is not done. We must turn the Arizona Legislature around. It’s time that elected officials stopped voting to give our tax money away and started voting to fund the People’s To-Do List: education, healthcare, infrastructure, and safety and security. I am proud to say that I voted against every tax giveaway that was proposed in two years. Do you want a representative who stands with teachers, students and families or one who stands with the developers? That is your choice in the LD9 primary.

Please check out the links and videos below. It has been an honor to serve you for the past two years in the Arizona House. Thank you for your support.

Continue reading Know Your Candidates: Early Voting Begins Aug 1 (video)

#PowersForThePeople Summer Events: You’re Invited!

Posted on by Pamela Powers Hannley
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

Who said Tucson rolls up the sidewalks in the summer? This town is hopping with political events this summer. I hope you can make it to some of my events. Stay tuned for updates as August events are added. You can watch the Events tabs on my website or on my Facebook page or subscribe to my blog to stay up-to-date with my campaign and other community events.

July 9: Moms Demand Action Candidate Forum, 6 p.m., St. Mark’s Church, 3809 E. 3rd St.  (Facebook event here.)

July 12: Midtown Legislative Meet & Greet with Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, hosted by Merrill Eisenberg, Barbara Warren and Jenise Porter, 5-7 p.m., RSVP on Eventbrite here for home address.

July 19: LD9 Clean Elections Debate, 6 p.m., Pima Community College NW, 7600 N. Shannon Rd. (Facebook event here.)

July 20: Arizona List event for Victoria Steele (LD9 Senate), Leila Counta (TUSD Board) and Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley (LD9 House), hosted by Kim Khoury. RSVP to Claire Knipe at Arizona List (Claire@ArizonaList.org). (Facebook event here.)

July 22: Northwest Tucson Legislative Meet & Greet with Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, hosted by Nathan Davis and Taylor Cleland, 1-3 p.m., RSVP on Eventbrite here for home address.

July 30: Last day to register to vote in the August 28 primary. (Register or change your registration here.)

July 31: Stop Thief! Let’s Restore Fair Taxes. Hosted by Progressive Democrats of America Tucson Chapter (PDA Tucson) and the Pima Area Labor Federation (PALF). 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the IBEW Hall, 750 South Tucson Blvd. Reps. Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley will be speaking. (Facebook event here.)

August 28: Primary Election Day. Please vote for Dr. Randy Friese and me on or before August 28.

Volunteer Opportunities

Every Saturday morning from now to August 25, 2018, the Powers For The People team will be canvassing around LD9. Walkers and drivers are always welcome. Just bring your hat, water, sunscreen, walking shoes and your MiniVan password. If you want to use the VAN list on paper, I will have a couple of paper turfs available. We will be carrying literature for both LD9 incumbents– Dr. Randy Friese and Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley. (Facebook event here.)