200 Stories: Healthcare Forum Attendees Reject Repeal of ACA

200 Stories Healthcare Forum

For months, the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress have been trying every trick in the book to eliminate the Affordable Care Act (ACA or “Obamacare”). Multiple repeal and replace bills died during the summer of 2017, thanks to public outcry against kicking millions of Americans off of health insurance while giving tax breaks and sweetheart deals to insurance companies and others. Overwhelmingly, Americans said: We want a health insurance system that is fair, affordable, and wide-ranging in its coverage.

Fast forward to November 2017, and the Republicans are at in again. Rather than hiding tax cuts for the rich in health insurance bills (as they tried last summer), they are hiding an ACA poison pill in the middle of a tax cut bill for the uber-rich.

Do the American people want to go back to market-driven health insurance with high costs and limited access to care and drugs? Do they want millions of adults to lose their insurance altogether– with the fight to rollback Medicaid expansion? Do they want poor children to lose their insurance– with the pending sunset of KidsCare? No! Citizen backlash on social media and in the streets has been strong and swift. In Southern Arizona, protesters have dogged CD2 Congresswomen Martha McSally, who voted for Republican plans to eliminate the ACA, kick millions of Americans off of health insurance, cut taxes for big corporations and the uber-rich, and raise taxes on the rest of us. Do Tucsonans agree with McSally and the Republican Party?

Continue reading 200 Stories: Healthcare Forum Attendees Reject Repeal of ACA

Oct 2017 LD9 Constituent Update: News & Events

Congressman Raul Grijalva and Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

My October 2017 constituent update included an essay on the importance of healthcare stories and a few event updates. You can read I Want To Hear Your Healthcare Stories here. Below are some event photos.

AzPHA Conference on the Opioid Epidemic

Arizona Public Health Assoication
The September Arizona Public Health Association conference on the opioid crisis was a real eye-opener. As a public health advocate, tackling the opioid crisis has been one of my top priorities since I began running for office. For the latest Arizona information, check out these slides presented by Arizona Department of Health Services. In the above photo, I am with former Legislator Debbie McCune-Davis, AzPHA Executive Director and former ADHS Director Will Humble, and Dr. Daniel Derksen from the UA College of Public Health. Watch for opioid epidemic legislation from the Governor and from the House Democratic Caucus in 2018. I plan to reintroduce the 911 Good Samaratan bill which will save lives of people during an overdose situation.

NAACP Gala Featured Rep. Bolding

Rep. Reginold Bolding (far right in the above photo) was the keynote speaker at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) annual gala in Tucson in October. We were surprised and honored to be seated at the front table with Rep. Bolding and Arizona NAACP President Charles R. Fanniel and his wife Lucille (above) and local NAACP President Doris J. Snowden and her husband (not pictured).
My seat mate Dr. Randy Friese and his wife Susan were also there. Here are Jim and I with the Frieses.

Continue reading Oct 2017 LD9 Constituent Update: News & Events

Sept 2017 LD9 Constituent Update: News & Events

Michael Peel and Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

My September update to constituents featured my Legislative Report card, which I expanded on in this blog post. 

Since September was so full of events, I decided to publish the update in two parts. This is the fun part– the photo album of events.

Labor Day Picnic

Labor Day Tucson 2017
Despite the sweltering heat, Jim and I had a great time at the Labor Day Picnic. We collected a lot of Clean Elections $5 donations and signatures. Here I am with LD9 chair Michael Dues.
Labor Day Tucson 2017
Women candidates, activists, and electeds were everywhere on Labor Day. Left to right we have: Linda Lyon (Blog for Arizona blogger and education activist), LD11 House candidate Holly Lyon, me, CD2 candidate Mary Matiella, and TUSD board member Kristal Foster.
Labor Day Tucson 2017
My shady tent was very popular. Here I am with LD9 Senate candidate Victoria Steele and Attorney General candidate and Emerge Sister January Contreras.

Continue reading Sept 2017 LD9 Constituent Update: News & Events

August 2017 LD9 Constituent Update: News & Upcoming Events (video)

Jim and Pam Hannley

Community Event Update

ERA in ArizonaWomen’s Equality Day: Aug 26

I am honored to be a speaker at Women’s Equality: Courageous Conversations on August 26, the anniversary of women’s suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment. I will be talking about the history of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the struggle to pass it. Only two more states are needed to ratify the ERA. I filed a bill proposing ratification of the ERA in the Arizona House in 2017, and I plan to do it again in 2018. Event information here.

Standing Room Only at July 8 Townhall

Unlike some politicians who hide from their constituents, LD9 Senator Steve Farley, Rep. Randy Friese, and I held a constituent town hall in early July. At the time, Congress was wrangling with health insurance reform and was poised to knock 30 million Americans off of health insurance, while giving tax breaks to the wealthy, to big insurance and to big pharma.

As a result, our LD9 town hall drew a standing room only crowd at the Martha Cooper Library in midtown– despite 109 degree temperatures. My UA intern Antar de Sa did a Facebook live video, and you can watch the whole event here. I also posted my comments on my YouTube channel.

Continue reading August 2017 LD9 Constituent Update: News & Upcoming Events (video)

July LD9 Constituent Update: News & Upcoming Events

Reps. Kirsten Engel and Pamela Powers Hannley

It may be hot on the sidewalks of the Old Pueblo, but that doesn’t stop Tucsonans from getting together for community events. Since the Arizona Legislature ended its session in mid-May, I have attended several community events and have given a number of Legislative Updates to groups. I have two events set up so far for July. (You can see the details below or on my Facebook page.)

There were many hot topics in the Legislature this session: teacher pay, the assault on public education and expansion of private and public school vouchers(ESAs), the assault on the Citizens’ Initiative process, hemp cultivation, gun rights, restoration of cash assistance and child care credits for needy families, theEqual Rights Amendment (ERA), fetal resuscitation, corporate tax cuts, andsurprise billing insurance reform, to name a few.

After the session, I was honored to be recognized by the Sierra Club with an A+ rating, by the Secular Coalition as a“Secular Star”, by Children’s Action Alliance with a 100% rating and by the Pima County Interfaith Council (PCIC) formy work on the Spice issue.

Thank you for your support and your emails. It is an honor to serve you in the Arizona House.

Below are a few news items from my email blast. If you want to be on my email list or my blog go here.

Continue reading July LD9 Constituent Update: News & Upcoming Events

#AZ Star Endorses Pamela Powers Hannley & Other News

Arizona Daily Star

LD9 incumbent Rep. Randy Friese and I met with representatives from the Arizona Daily Star a few weeks ago to share ideas and answer their questions. Traditionally, the Star meets with all candidates for a position simultaneously, but LD9 Tea Party challenger Ana Henderson did not attend the interview.

On Sunday, Oct 9, the Star released their endorsements, and I’m proud to say that they endorsed me– along with the LD9 incumbents Friese and Senator Steve Farley. Here is an excerpt from the endorsement story.

On the House side, we endorse incumbent Randy Friese and newcomer Pamela Powers Hannley.

They are a solid combination and compliment each other’s strengths with experience and policy knowledge.

Friese and Powers Hannley are Democrats running against another newcomer, Republican Ana Henderson.

Powers Hannley identified the economy as her top priority, which isn’t unusual for a political candidate.

What makes her stand out, however, is that she’s not identifying “jobs” as her platform but puts economic stability and viability in a larger frame. She thinks of it “broadly, to lift people out of poverty.”

She supports an increased minimum wage and identifies corporate tax cuts and loopholes as a target to increase state revenue to spend on urgent needs, such as public education.

“These are issues that are not one-party issues,” she said. She cited paycheck equality and fairness as an example.

She also rightly points out that the southern end of LD 9, in midtown Tucson, is rife with rundown housing and that many residents don’t have the means to maintain or improve their property.

She raised the possibility of Arizona forming a public bank, which could give residents low-interest loans to improve their homes or businesses. We’re not ready to sign on to that just yet, but we appreciate her innovative thinking and reaching for different ideas.

To read the full story, here’s the link:

Star endorsement: Arizona Legislative District 9

Here are a few other news stories about the LD9 race:

Here are the local candidates we recommend this election (Star)

Steller: Candidates increasingly view debates as optional (Star)

Three candidates battle for two House seats in District 9 (Star)

Political Notebook: Anti-McCain primary votes loom large (Star)

State House: Most incumbent Democrats doing well (Star)

Legislative District 9 races (Blog for Arizona)

Who Is Ana Henderson? (Blog for Arizona)

Union roots propel Amherst native in Arizona House race (Amherst News Times – my hometown newspaper.)

#LD9 Debate Reveals Clear Choices Between Dem & GOP Candidates (For a recap of the LD9 debate on Oct 14.)