Guest Blog: Sarah Swisher on the 2008 Legislative Session
By Sarah Swisher
 
The Iowa Legislature has begun what will prove to be a very exciting year for health care reform in the state. This Tuesday legislators presented a health care bill that would bring universal coverage to Iowa’s approximately 45,000 uninsured children.

This would be accomplished by expanding already existing programs to afford covering 25,000 more eligible kids, and providing subsidies to cover a remaining 19,000 in private plans.

This goal is to be reached within three years, but in order for it to reach the Governor’s desk it will need legislative support. SEIU and Iowa for Health Care are setting out to assure this support by holding its 5th Annual Lobby Day at the Capitol on February 14th. Here our Union Members and Health Care Voters will be urging state legislators to support this landmark bill and stand up for the children of this state that go everyday without the access to health care they need and deserve.

In 2007, the U.S. Congress failed to override Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP, or HAWK-I as it’s known in Iowa). This is just further proof that the people of this county cannot rely on the current administration to reform our broken health care system. If Iowa wants to see a positive future for its children, it must act on this bill. For just one child to not have access to a doctor when s/he is sick is too many, and the longer we wait, the worse it’s going to get.

Beyond this necessary health care bill, SEIU and Iowa for Health Care will also lobbying for nurse-friendly legislation.

Currently, many nurses in Iowa have no protection from employer retaliation when they speak out against actions or conditions in the workplace that are unsafe or illegal. Nurses should not be punished for advocating in the best interest of their patients, this is why we’ll be pushing for a Whistleblower Protection Bill that has been introduced by Rep. Mary Mascher.

Another major issue facing this state is nurse wages, where we rank 50th in the nation. Ranking last in nurse pay is unacceptable and action much be taken immediately to bring these valued bedside workers up to a competitive average wage. Governor Culver vowed to push for legislation to boost these wages in his Condition of the State address, after SEIU expressed its concern for this issue. We can except a bill to be presented by March 1st.

So, with our help, 2008 should turn out to be the year of health care reform, and the year of the nurse for the state of Iowa. And, like everything in politics, there is power in numbers. So if you’d be interested in helping make 2008 a landmark year for these issues by joining our Lobby Day, please give us a call at 319.338.0353, or email us at iowaforhealthcare@gmail.com.

Sarah Swisher is a Registered Nurse, Political Director of SEIU Local 199, Director of Iowa for Health Care, and currently sits as a member on Iowa’s Nursing Taskforce and Legislative Commission on Affordable Health Care for Small Businesses and Families, working to bring much needed health care reform to the state of Iowa.