June 2009
2 posts
We Fight, We Win!
Hey everybody! I am back blogging from the Capital! WOW, we have accomplished a lot this session! I am beyond thrilled that we have won health insurance for 80,000 Oregon children and 116,000 adults! How amazing is that?! This is such a terrific win for working people. House bill 2009 and 2116 have passed and we will be able to take advantage of federal matching money. What that means is, our...
Nursing Assistants should have a voice on Health...
Hi everyone, I want to tell you about House Bill 2056. HB 2056 focuses on the membership of various health care boards, like the Board of Nursing. The health care boards have both professional and public members. For example, the Board of Nursing has Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses and public members. The main focus of the bill is adding more public members to this Board and other...
May 2009
2 posts
Paid Family Leave: We are so close to making this...
Hey everyone, I am down at the state Capital again. This time I am working with our allies on paid family leave for Oregonians. We are getting close to the end of the legislative session, and we are still working hard on getting this important legislation passed. Senate Bill 966 would give employees who qualified for OFLA (Oregon Family Leave Act) a fund to draw on for up to $300 a week (for full...
Health Care Lobby Day Report, part 2
On Health Care Lobby Day, we broke into groups based on legislative districts and spread out within the Capitol, calling on Senators and Representatives. My group met with Senator Rod Monroe. We each took a role; I did introductions and told him, “We want Health care reform NOW!” Julie told him that we support a plan to use federal matching money so 100,000 adults and 80,000 children in Oregon...
April 2009
1 post
Health Care Lobby Day Report, part 1
Hi everybody, I have lots to share with you all! On April 8th we had health care lobby day at the Oregon Capital. It was an awesome day! We started the day with a legislative update; then trained on how to talk to legislators. We learned that legislators listen closest to their constituents – the people who live in their districts and can vote for or against them. We practiced by role playing and...
March 2009
4 posts
We all pay for our broken health care system
Hi again, it’s Susan. I have been talking with union members. We have been discussing the world as it is and how it could be better if everyone had health insurance that covered what you needed covered: emergencies, preventive care and routine care. Many of us have no insurance or insurance that costs too much to use. I’m sure you know people in that situation. I have family members who have...
Your chance to speak up and be heard!
Do you dream that your life could be better? That your children’s future could be brighter than yours? I believe our lives can get better and the future can be bright and full of possibilities. You might think I am looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, but I do think our lives can be much better than they are now. How? One person has to fight super hard to make changes in this...
Oregon Family Medical Leave Act: Leave it alone!
Hi again! This is Susan, signing on from the Oregon legislature. Did you know that the Federal government has just made changes to the Family Medical Leave Act? The changes will make it more difficult for you to get and/or keep your FMLA protections. Oregon has its own version of a family medical leave act, and it matched the former version of FMLA pretty well. Now, the Oregon Bureau of Labor...
Walking and talking at the capitol
Hi all! Hello from the Oregon state capitol! My name is Susan Kolibaba and I am a health care worker and member of SEIU Local 49. I am working for you this session of the Oregon legislature. I see how our legislature is making and changing laws in our state that affect everyone in Oregon. I have gotten involved in politics the last few years because this is my state and my country and I want a...