Contact: Molly Weedn | molly@weednpa.com
Sacramento, CA – Major statewide labor organizations, the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) and Communications Workers of America (CWA), have opposed Proposition 44, joining a broad and growing coalition of labor leaders, patients, health care providers, community leaders and organizations working to defeat the dangerous ballot initiative.
“Prop 44 would push patients out of clinics and into crisis — replacing routine care with 911 calls. Peace officers already respond to too many preventable health, mental health, and addiction emergencies because people have nowhere else to go. For millions of vulnerable Californians, community clinics are the only accessible care they have. Take that lifeline away, and patients and communities suffer — and California’s already stretched public-safety workforce inherits the consequences. PORAC’s nearly 90,000 members keep communities safe, and Prop 44 would make that job even harder,” said PORAC President Brian R. Marvel.
A study from the Berkeley Research Group warns Prop 44 will cut $1.7 billion from community health clinics in the first year and billions thereafter. As a result, 88% of clinics across the state would operate at a loss. The initiative will shut down hundreds of community health clinics throughout the state and force major cuts to patient services jeopardizing care for millions of patients.
Community health clinics provide essential health care to children, working families, uninsured Californians, seniors, veterans and one in three Medi-Cal patients. In many rural and medically underserved communities, these clinics are the only source of care for hundreds of miles. If Proposition 44 passes, patients could lose access to critical primary care, prenatal care, mental health services, telehealth, dental services and more.
Prop 44 also has major legal flaws that financially penalize clinics if they spend resources on important staff and patient services. These flaws could potentially force cuts to nursing and physician leaders, healthcare enrollment navigators, appointment referral coordinators, telemedicine, translation services, transportation resources and many other resources that help clinics provide for their communities and keep them safe.
“The opposition of PORAC and CWA shows how broad and diverse our growing coalition against Proposition 44 has become,” said Francisco Silva, President and CEO of the California Primary Care Association. “These formidable groups join the California Teachers Association, along with hundreds of community advocates, social justice groups, doctors, nurses, and community health centers across the state.”
For more information, visit NoProp44.com.