Press Releases

Progressive States Network Applauds FCC National Broadband Plan

Mar 16 2010

03/16/2010 - 00:00

The Progressive States Network applauds the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to partner with state leaders in order provide universal broadband service to the American people. State legislators are ready to work with their federal counterparts to guarantee high-speed broadband to all residents of this country.

Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future

Mar 04 2010

1000+ State Legislators Support Health Reform/ Far Outnumber Marginal Opposition by ALEC Legislators

Dec 07 2009

This statement is in response to a press conference held Monday morning by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council in Washington DC, in association with the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), featuring a letter signed by 100 state legislators opposing the Senate health reform bill.

Obama, Pelosi, Harkin to Meet with State Legislator Delegation Representing 1000+ Legislators for Real Health Reform

Oct 14 2009

10/14/2009 - 00:00

Today, state legislators representing over 1000 colleagues will meet with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid, bringing a message of state support for real health care reform, including the public option. The delegation will meet with President Obama and other White House officials in the West Wing starting at 12:30pm, with Senator Harkin at 11:15am and with Speaker Pelosi at 3:30pm. The over two dozen state legislators in the delegation are also meeting with other Senators and Congressional representatives over two days

More than a Thousand State Legislators Support Real Health Reform; State Legislators Coming to D.C. Next Week

Oct 06 2009

Progressive States Network, a group representing state legislators across the country, announced today that 1057 state legislators from all fifty states have signed letters to Congress asking for real health reform, including a public health insurance option, strong affordability protections, and shared responsibility among individuals, employers and government for health care costs.

State legislative leaders, along with mayors from around the country, will be coming to Washington, D.C. next week to bring this message of state support for reform to Capitol Hill and the White House.

RELEASE: Body representing every state legislature in country backs public health insurance option

Jul 23 2009

PHILADELPHIA – Today, the hotly contested public health insurance option won a final stamp of approval from the body representing every state legislature in the country. After passing through the National Conference of State Legislatures' Standing Health Committee on Tuesday, an amendment to the organization's official policy recommendations calling on the federal government to create a public health insurance option was approved by the NCSL's full body by a 38 to 11 vote. Legislators backing the amendment cited the need to break the impasse in Washington as one of their primary reasons for passing it.

According to Iowa State Senator Jack Hatch (D, Des Moines), who introduced the amendment, “Today, we sent a very clear message to people dragging their feet in Washington: the time to act on health reform is now, and states are not going to sit on the sidelines and watch. We won't settle for halfway measures and we won't stand for delay. We need a public health insurance option to make sure working families and small businesses are free to choose the best health care available at a price they can afford. And we need it now.”

RELEASE: Body representing all U.S. state legislatures moves to endorse public option

Jul 21 2009

PHILADELPHIA – This Tuesday, the hotly contested public health insurance option won endorsement from the body representing every state legislature in the country. Citing the need for immediate action to stem the rising costs of health care, three quarters of the states represented on the the National Conference of State Legislatures' Standing Committee on Health voted to include an amendment calling for a public health insurance option in the committee's policy recommendations for federal health care reform. On Thursday, the recommendation will come up for a vote before the full body of NCSL, whose membership includes over 7,500 state legislators across the country.

RELEASE: PSN condemns Rell's veto of groundbreaking health care bills, urges override

Jul 09 2009

NEW YORK – In response to Governor Rell's veto yesterday of two groundbreaking health care bills, Progressive States Network Senior Health Care Policy Specialist Adam Thompson today released the following statement:

“By passing the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership and SustiNet earlier this year, the Connecticut General Assembly gave Governor Rell a unique opportunity. She could have been the first Governor in the country to implement a public health insurance option. She could have extended quality affordable care to 98 percent of the population. She could have given badly needed financial relief to working families and small businesses at a time when they need it most. Instead she chose to uphold a status quo that is crippling the economy and sending families into bankruptcy.

Progressive States Network Lauds NJ Governor and Legislative Sponsors for for passing innovative permanent absentee voting law

Jul 01 2009

Yesterday, Governor Corzine signed A 2451, the Vote by Mail Law of 2008, bringing New Jersey's absentee voting procedures decisively into the 21st Century. The law, sponsored by Senator Raymond Lesniak and Assemblywoman Joan Quigley, replaces New Jersey's multiple absentee voting systems with one streamlined system for use by all voters. In addition the law now gives voters the option of permanently voting by mail, as is available in Colorado, California, Montana and Washington. Under this option voters could apply once to receive either a ballot in every election for the next year or receive ballots indefinitely for all general elections.

RELEASE: Delegation representing 700 state legislators meets with White House, Congress to urge public health insurance option

Jun 17 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As battle lines are drawn on Capitol Hill in the coming battle over health care reform, state legislators are taking on a central role in the debate. Today, at a Capitol Hill press conference hosted by Sen. Tom Harkin and a White House meeting with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Director of the White House Office of Health Care Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle, a delegation of state legislators organized by the national group Progressive States Network delivered a letter urging comprehensive health care reform within the year. The letter, which was signed by 700 legislators from 47 states, called for any federal reform bill to include a public health insurance option, strong affordability protections, and shared employer responsibility for health care costs.

From the Dispatch

IA: Bill to reduce tax credits advances 03/17/10
WV: Gun bill gives Manchin 'pure heartburn' 03/17/10
FL: Tampa Bay ranks among poorest performing economies 03/17/10
ID: Bill seeks to study online sales tax collection 03/17/10
NJ: N.J. Democrats say Gov. Christie is hurting middle class to balance state budget 03/16/10

Research Roundup

Eye On The Right

Governor of No? – On health care, governor can stand with the people
07/01/2009 - 2:46pm
Bigotry is not an American value
04/20/2009 - 3:59pm
Accounting for jobs in the stimulus cash
03/20/2009 - 12:35pm

Search

Primary links

Press Releases

Progressive States Network Applauds FCC National Broadband Plan

Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future

1000+ State Legislators Support Health Reform/ Far Outnumber Marginal Opposition by ALEC Legislators

Obama, Pelosi, Harkin to Meet with State Legislator Delegation Representing 1000+ Legislators for Real Health Reform

More than a Thousand State Legislators Support Real Health Reform; State Legislators Coming to D.C. Next Week

RELEASE: Body representing every state legislature in country backs public health insurance option

RELEASE: Body representing all U.S. state legislatures moves to endorse public option

RELEASE: PSN condemns Rell's veto of groundbreaking health care bills, urges override

Progressive States Network Lauds NJ Governor and Legislative Sponsors for for passing innovative permanent absentee voting law

RELEASE: Delegation representing 700 state legislators meets with White House, Congress to urge public health insurance option

From the Dispatch

In The News

Research Roundup

Eye On The Right

PSN Op-Eds

News & Analysis