A Matter of two waivers

Back when the California State Assembly and then State Senate passed AB-32, co-authored by then Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, and Speaker Fabian Nunez; California set what is an International Standard for standards for cleaning our air and stronger emissions standards. We had to wait almost six years until a new Administration and EPA would grant the federal waiver to allow stiffer state pollution standards then the federal recognized standards. This waiver was sought year after year from the Bush White House; and we only now can go forward on these key standards for a cleaner standard and to fight Global Warming.

We now face an equally strong campaign to pass federal Health Care reforms that must have a public option. More importantly for those of us who are committed to a Single Payer system; we must have a waiver allowing states to enact more comprehensive health care beyond that which we sadly can pass through congress currently. What many of us fear is that with the cooperation of Big Pharma and a coalition of Hospitals to support the Obama Health Care proposals; we may get some sort of public option that is tied to existing insurance and without a waiver for us to pass the Leno Bill for Single Payer in California.

The Conyers bill in the House currently allows for a limited waiver for enumerated states, and we face a potential conflict between the Senate Finance Bill and the H.E.L.P. bill of Senator Kennedy's in the US Senate. At the end of the day we must have a waiver in the law that allows for California to go forward. That is for now the story of two waivers.