Just days after telling WMM4A that he has changed his position on Single Payer healthcare, Sen. Welch walks back that support. Here’s video from the MassVOTE candidate forum recorded 8-17-20 with statements from Senator Welch and pro-Single Payer candidate, Adam Gomez.
In response to the scorecard of candidates by the Springfield area hub of WMM4A (see Aug. 11 blog post below), Sen. Welch’s office just informed us that he has changed his long-held position against Medicare for All in Mass. He now pledges to co-sponsor the M4A bill in the new legislative session. His Chief of Staff said the Senator’s view changed because of COVID and he now supports state-based Single Payer. We’d like to hear more from Sen. Welch about how COVID changed his mind on this critical issue. We also encourage his constituents to contact him and ask what he will do NOW as an elected official to help advance Medicare for All in Mass.
We have’t posted to this blog in a while and that’s mostly because we’ve been busy working on a lot of other stuff! Western Mass. Medicare for All is a volunteer operation and we can’t always keep up with it all.
We’ve been hosting trainings about the Mass. M4A bill, presenting educational programs, and tabling at public events in Berkshire, Hampshire and Hampden counties. WMM4A folks have also been participating in meetings with the M4A Legislative Caucus and helping to form a Health Care Committee of the new Area Labor Federation. Several folks recently attended the national Single Payer Conference in Portland, Oregon.
Meanwhile, our Easthampton hub has been working hard on a Medicare for All resolution in their city. Please come out to the Council meetings in Easthampton on Nov. 6 and Nov. 20 to support the Easthampton Single Payer Resolution! (See details on our Events page. )
You may also notice something new here on our website – our new WMM4A logo! We worked with a local designer to create a visual image that expresses who we are. The mountains symbolize Western Mass. as well as the strength and solidity of our movement. The overlapping green and green-blue colors symbolize unity, growth and health. Some of you may have also noticed that the shape of the mountains echo the “M” and “A” in Medicare for All.
We’ll try to write more blog posts soon. But meanwhile, we’d love to hear from YOU. Do you have a health care story that you would like to share with others? Send us your ideas: info@wmMedicareforall.org.
Western Mass. Medicare for All has been working at the municipal level this spring and is glad to report two recent victories. The Holyoke City Council voted overwhelmingly on May 7thto pass a resolution in support of the state bill, “An Act to Establish Medicare for All in Massachusetts.” This success was largely the result of great organizing by WMM4A’s Holyoke hub, hosted by the Pioneer Valley chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Rally at Holyoke City Hall before Council vote on Medicare for All resolution
A non-binding ballot question in support of Single Payer healthcare passed in Holyoke last November with a 67% “yes” vote. Hub members had canvassed door to door for several months and the question passed in every ward: not only in the most liberal wards, but also in more conservative ones.
More than 100 advocates from across the state, including a strong Western Mass. contingent (pictured here), gathered at the Statehouse for Lobby Day on Jan. 23rd.
After a spirited rally, delegations formed to talk with their legislators about cosponsoring “An Act Establishing Medicare for All in Mass.” Many thanks to those who attended Lobby Day, and to all of you who called and emailed your state reps and senators.
The final tally for cosponsors on HD2974, the House Medicare for All bill is 62. This is a 40% increase since last session – and Western Mass. more than doubled its cosponsors from 7 to 15! The total number of legislators who have signed on at this point to either the Senate or House bills is 73. Reps and Senators can continue to sign on to the Senate bill (SD2062) until it comes out of committee.
As we continue to build the grassroots movement for Medicare for All in Massachusetts, more legislators are getting on-board. They can see that this matters to the people in their districts. We are also starting to get some pushback. A new columnist in the Hampshire Gazette recently chose to challenge Medicare for All in his first opinion piece. Responses by Prof. Gerald Friedman and Deborah Levenson, WMM4A Co-Convener, were published a few days later. Standing up to the opposition is part of this struggle … and here we go!
We are pleased to announce a strong leadership team for Medicare for All in the statehouse for the 2019-2020 legislative session. “An Act to Establish Medicare for All in Mass.” will be re-submitted by the January 18th filing deadline with some minor revisions. Sen. Jamie Eldridge will continue as the lead sponsor on the Senate version of the bill; newly-elected Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, a champion for Single Payer from the First Hampshire District, , will be taking over as lead sponsor in the House. We also look forward to working with the newly-formed Single Payer Legislative Caucus. The