IN THIS EPISODE
What can advocates do when lawmakers shirk their responsibility to fix a healthcare system that hurts so many? Are campaign contributions from the for-profit healthcare industry the reason legislators refuse to advance reforms that would cover everybody, for everything, for less money? In this second of two podcasts, join host Brenda Gazzar and Whole Washington founder and operations director Georgia Davenport, to get Whole Washington‘s take on how to get around legislative inaction using the ballot initiative process. Why could winning single payer in Washington state “open the floodgates” to expanding improved Medicare to everyone? Plus, learn what you can do to support Whole Washington in this fight!
SHOW NOTES
WE DISCUSS
What’s the connection between financial and healthcare insecurity?
“I just went to Seattle over New Year’s and driving, it’s just horrifying – driving from here to there, seeing the … conditions people are living in … and I don’t have the numbers off the top of my head but a lot of bankruptcy and homelessness is actually a result of people not being able to afford their medical care.” – Georgia Davenport
Why do you think the bill to establish a Washington public healthcare trust – SB 5204 – never made it out of committee?
“…the two chairs of the Senate and House Healthcare Committees get tens of thousands of dollars from health insurance PACs (Political Action Committees) and pharmaceutical PACs. Again, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that these bills never make it out of committee when you look at the campaign donations to some of these leaders…” – Georgia Davenport
What challenges do you face pursuing a ballot initiative?
“…we do try to still lobby our representatives for (SB) 5204 because that would be the easiest way. You know, we don’t want to have to go collect 400,000 signatures and then do a ‘get out the vote’ campaign for a year. That’s two years that people are continuing to die. People are continuing to ration insulin. They’re not able to pay their medical bills so they end up homeless. I mean, that’s two extra years of organizing while this system continues…” – Georgia Davenport
Helpful Links
Whole Washington FAQs, Whole Washington
SB 5204, creating the Whole Washington Health Trust, Washington State Legislature
Frequently Asked Questions about Circulating Initiative and Referendum Petitions, Washington Secretary of State
19% of U.S. Households Could Not Afford to Pay for Medical Care Right Away. United States Census Bureau (2021)
How affordability of health care varies by income among people with employer coverage. Peterson/KFF Health System Tracker
Episode Transcript
Read the full episode transcript.
Guest Biography
Georgia Davenport founded Whole Washington in 2017 and served as Campaign Director in 2018, leading the 100% volunteer initiative effort for universal healthcare in the state. She lives in Eastern Washington, north of Spokane, in a little town called Nine Mile Falls. Currently she serves as operations director of Whole Washington. She is also a web designer, wife and mom. Her family includes her husband, who is an Air Force veteran, her 10-year-old daughter, and a menagerie of pets. She is very politically active, having volunteered for and served as staffer on many campaigns, and was elected to the Washington State Democratic Central Committee and the 7th Legislative District. She ran for Washington State House of Representatives in 2020.
Get Involved / Take Action
Support Whole Washington to win comprehensive health care in the Evergreen State
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Join Healthy California Now – a coalition working toward a California single-payer system. Individual and organizational memberships available.
Join Health Care for All California to keep up with local actions to support California single-payer health care.
Join Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) to support a national campaign to improve and expand Medicare to all residents of the U.S.
Find more Code WACK! episodes on ProgressiveVoices.com, on the PV App and on NurseTalk Media. You can also subscribe to Code WACK! wherever you find your podcasts. This podcast is powered by HEAL California, uplifting the voices of those fighting for health care reform around the country. I’m Brenda Gazzar.
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