Episode Nine: SB 562 - Rendon Blocks The Bill

California District One Media

Welcome to California District One Media. I’m Tony West. This is your weekly watchdog news report on your District One elected officials in Congress. Here’s the latest. Last time we reported on The Healthy California Act, or SB 562, a popular and serious contender for a viable affordable healthcare system covering all Californians. It’s cleared the State Senate, and has been under review by the Assembly. SB 562 creates a trust fund for all healthcare funding under a Single Payer system, with everyone in one payment plan; patients, doctors, and hospitals. One payment network where everyone is covered, where no one is without coverage, where treatment is available to everyone. With the repeal of the Affordable Care Act looming on a national scale, the reality of millions of Californians having their Medicare stripped away has made SB 562 a popular bill with the public across party lines. This week, the bill faced a striking blow, which threatens to kill the bill in the Assembly all together. California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced that he would “hold” the bill in the Rules Committee, effectively killing the bill for at least the rest of 2017. While state democrats hold the super majority in Sacramento, it’s baffling that Speaker Rendon would vote against a bill that is a part of his own party’s platform. But it should be reported that Anthony Rendon has accepted nearly a quarter of a million dollars in campaign contributions from the health and insurance sectors. This calls into question his motivations on singlehandedly stopping the measure in it’s tracks. Our own District One Assemblyman, Brian Dahle, has been quoting false claims the bill will cost the state $400 billion and businesses will pay a 15 percent payroll tax. In fact, the University of Massachusetts states that single payer health care will cost $331 billion, a cost savings over the $385 billion Californian’s currently pay for healthcare every year. Small businesses making under $2 million a year won’t even be affected. Healthcare advocates and citizen lobbyists are calling on all Californian’s to contact their State Assembly representatives and tell them you want the bill to go to the Floor for a vote. Contact information for your representatives can be found on Facebook Town hall, and online at legislature.ca.gov. Be heard! Be sure to register and vote in 2018.