Our NJ Bill—A5310—NJ Medicare for All

A Message from Carol Gay, President,
New Jersey State Industrial Union Council

Dear IUC Affiliates and Medicare for All Supporters,

As you know, the IUC is a founding member of the NJ Universal Healthcare coalition and we have been actively working to introduce legislation for a NJ Medicare for All bill. The news from Congress may be absolutely dreadful this week, but we do have some good news on the state level.

Our NJ Medicare for all bill has been introduced. It is A5310. We are especially grateful to Assemblyman John Wisniewski for his efforts. No changes were made to the text last submitted by the NJ Universal Healthcare Coaltion, and the text of the bill is now on line. 

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/A9999/5310_I1.HTM

The prime sponsors are: Wisniewski (19); Jimenez (32); Johnson (37)
Two additional co-sponsors: Danielsen (17); Karabinchak (18).

We are free to publicize and do whatever we want to promote the bill. For starters—and this is very important—we need all members who live in the districts of any of the prime or co-sponsors, to call their legislator, identify themselves as NJ IUC and/or NJUHC supporters or members, and thank the Assemblyperson for sponsoring or co-sponsoring this bill. If you are willing, please grab a handful of colleagues and set up a meeting with these sponsors to personally thank them and explain why this bill is important. Ask them if they will re-introduce the bill in the next session after Wisniewski is gone. We need to get them to be active sponsors and co-sponsors, especially since Wisniewski will be leaving the Assembly in mid-January.

If you aren't in the district represented by one of the above sponsors, call your legislators, especially if you know them, and encourage them to sign on to A5310.

Thanks to everyone whose persistent efforts have contributed to reaching this benchmark. We will need your help more than ever now and will be in touch early in the New Year to talk about further actions to support this legislation.

In Solidarity,

Carol