Healthcare Reform Package Defeated in Committee
Gov. Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Núñez suffered a major legislative defeat on Monday when the Senate Health Committee voted 7 to 1 against ABx1, legislation designed to provide coverage for 3.7 million uninsured Californians.  What was once hailed as a bipartisan agreement, even though no Republican legislators supported the bill, lost momentum with Democrat lawmakers following a report released last week by the Legislative Analyst's Office that concluded the plan would cost significantly more than the $14 billion originally projected.  Senate President pro Tem Don Perata pointed to the state’s $14.5 billion deficit and said that there was no reasonable way to raise revenue to fund the health insurance program.  At a press conference on Tuesday, Schwarzenegger pledged to regroup with the speaker and interested stakeholders to continue pushing toward comprehensive reform.

Needle Disposal Bill Passes Assembly Floor
On Tuesday, Jan. 29, AB 501, authored by Assemblyman Sandre Swanson (D-Oakland), legislation that would require pharmaceutical manufacturers, at the request of a consumer of a prefilled syringe, prefilled pen, or other prefilled injection device administered at home, to provide a prepaid mail-back sharps container, was approved by the Assembly.  While CHI supports efforts to safely dispose of these products, we remain concerned about the current requirements of the bill. Despite passage, the author committed to work with members of the life sciences community, who already offer various needle disposal options, on amendments in the Senate that would remove the industry’s opposition to the bill.

Study Reveals Significant Neglect in Early Science Education
According to a recent study of Bay Area elementary school teachers released by researchers from the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley and WestEd, an education think tank based in San Francisco, 80 percent of teachers spend less than an hour each week teaching science, with 16 percent of respondents indicating they spent no time on science at all.  These results contrast with a national study done seven years ago, which found elementary school teachers averaged more than two hours of science instruction per week.  Many teachers responded that they felt inadequately prepared to teach science as opposed to math or reading.  The study bodes ill for the state’s ability to build a competent workforce to meet the needs of technology based industries; people entering scientific fields generally form their perceptions about science at an early age.  As part of its 2008 policy objectives, CHI will educate policymakers on education and training programs that the biomedical community conducts which are designed to peak interest and channel young Californians towards careers in science.