Advocacy

San Francisco recently joined the growing ranks of local jurisdictions creating new laws that seek to provide health care coverage for the uninsured. On Monday, August 7, it is expected that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will sign legislation that seeks to provide affordable health insurance to the city's approximately 82,000 uninsured adult residents.

James Patterson, the bestselling author whose suspense novels have been described as keep-you-up-all-night page-turners, is once again awarding cash prizes to booksellers, educators, festival organizers, philanthropic groups, and others, who find effective ways to spread the excitement of books and promote reading.

The American Booksellers Association is encouraging members who participated in its first-ever Legislative Day at BookExpo America, as well as those who did not, to follow up with their senators and representatives to encourage support for issues of import to independent booksellers. For those who met with their senators, representatives, or congressional staff, ABA suggests a note of thanks for the meeting would provide the perfect opportunity to reiterate their concerns.

Booksellers Go to Capitol Hill for ABA Legislative Day The Day's Legislative Briefings Off to Capitol Hill ABA/Book Sense Lounge: Member Services, Authors & More Sign-Up for ABA Town Hall Available at the Lounge Tim Russert to Deliver Thursday's Keynote Address Random House Reception at Hotel ABA on Thursday

Sen. Michael Enzi's (R-WY) attempt to push for a quick vote on The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, S. 1955, was blocked Thursday, May 11, when the Senate voted 55 - 43 against cloture. According to the Los Angeles Times, Enzi said he would work with Senate Democrats to draft compromise legislation, which he would then reintroduce later in the year.

The debate over Small Business Health Plans (SBHP) legislation is heating up this week as the bill's proponents seek a quick vote and opponents look to block the bill, as reported by Reuters.

On May 9, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), announced a new national reading program, The Big Read, designed to revitalize the role of reading in American public culture. NEA is launching The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

It is expected that next week the Senate will vote on The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act (S. 1955), legislation sponsored by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) that would allow business and trade associations to pool their members to offer group health coverage through Small Business Health Plans (SBHP). The American Booksellers Association is encouraging its members to contact their senators to urge a vote in favor of the bill.

On April 25, ABA COO Oren Teicher wrote booksellers and asked them to contact their senators and urge them to support "The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act," (S. 1955), legislation sponsored by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY). The legislation would allow business and trade associations to band their members together and offer group health coverage on a national or regional basis through Small Business Health Plans (SBHP, also known as Association Health Plans).

It appears that supporters of health care reform finally have momentum on their side. The Senate is nearing a vote on Small Business Health Plans (also known as Associated Health Plans) legislation sometime in May [watch for an important update and a call to action in next week's BTW]; President Bush is touting Health Savings Accounts; and in Massachusetts, on April 12, Republican Gov. Mitt Romney signed a health insurance reform bill that seeks to make health insurance available to every resident of Massachusetts within the next three years.