House Appropriations passed S.88 yesterday 7-3 and is headed for House floor vote Thursday and Friday and the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign is pushing for a strongest possible version we can for the final bill. We need all the help we can get building for a huge rally on May 1st at the Statehouse. We want to be continuing to build momentum for Vermont to lead the way over the Summer, into the Fall and into 2011.

Here is the release about the rally.    

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HUGE STATEWIDE HEALTHCARE MARCH & RALLY TO BE HELD IN MONTPELIER

This May 1st, thousands will gather at the Statehouse lawn for biggest rally in Vermont’s history

MONTPELIER – US Senator Bernie Sanders will join Vermonters from across the state on Saturday, May 1 at a huge “Healthcare Is A Human Right” March and Rally at the Statehouse. The Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign was launched in 2008 by the Vermont Workers’ Center to build a grassroots network across the state that’s strong enough to change what’s “politically possible” in healthcare reform.  Last year the Campaign held the first “Healthcare Is A Human Right Rally” at the Statehouse. With over twelve hundred people participating, it was the largest weekday rally in the state’s history. That momentum led to state health reform being taken up by the Vermont legislature, even in the midst of federal health reform.

“We knew the federal reform would fail to address the roots of the healthcare crisis.  Health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and other powerful interests with  big money at stake have too much control over Congress to let them make the kind of changes that are necessary to reform our mess of a health care system. While there are some good things in the federal bill, it is really up to states like Vermont to make the much needed changes,” said Peg Franzen, the Policy Committee Chair for the Campaign. “Together with the thousands of our supporters who believe we must do this on a state level, that is exactly what we are doing.”

The “Healthcare Is A Human Right” Campaign has increasingly been getting Vermont national attention because it is one of the few states where momentum has actually built up enough for the state’s legislatiors to address the crisis.  This past Fall and winter, for example, the campaign held eleven People’s Forums around the state on the healthcare problem.  Almost eighty state legislators attended the forums with over eight hundred participants testifying about the healthcare crisis, laying out the practices and principles that comprise the right to adequate and affordable healthcare. These principles were included in S.88 “Healthy Vermont” Bill,  a comprehensive healthcare bill that passed 28-2 on April 7th in the Vermont Senate and is expected to be voted on in the House of Representatives this week.

The bill calls for the hiring of consultants to design three health care models.  One of these three must be a single payer system that is administered by the government, is publicly financed, and is completely decoupled from employment. All three of the models must meet the “Healthcare is a Human Right” principles of universal access and coverage, be comprehensive and affordable, be transparent in design, and must ensure public participation in the design, implementation, evaluation, and accountability. The designs also have to include implementation timelines beginning no later than July, 2012.

Busses, vans and carpools have been set up statewide for transportation to the rally.  In addition to Senator Sanders, the celebration rally and march will include performers from Bread & Puppet, Sambatucada, a fife & drum marching band and other local musicians and artists.  This family event will have a kids tent on site and sign language interpreters available.

The “Healthcare Is A Human Right” Campaign has local leaders and organizers spread throughout the state in every community and they are available for interviews by any news organization.

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