Single payer activists seized the first day of reopening in California on June 15 to rally at the state Capitol. Doctors, seniors, union workers, and others called on Gov. Newsom to enlist federal support for a system that would guarantee one high standard of health care with no barriers for all state residents. Even with a successful bill, California will need federal “waivers” from current regulations to start its own healthcare system.
The Healthy California Now coalition, sponsor of the Capitol rally, is pressing the governor to work with officials in the Biden administration now to prepare for the waivers. Amid honks from a coalition caravan circling the mall, the rally concluded with a representative from the governor’s office accepting a wagon containing thousands of petitions from supporters throughout the state. She announced to cheers that the governor had indeed sent a letter to President Biden expressing the need to work on waivers for a California single payer system. Read more.
See more event photos from Ron Lee.
See highlights video by Ed Herzog.