Legislature

It’s not whether you vote yes or no, but whether you vote at all that really matters. That’s the lesson from years of non-voting scandals that have rocked the Capitol and killed critical legislation.
 
Legislators are paid to take stands, not to stand by and help powerful special interests through their inactions and abstentions when they are present.
 

The Medical Board, whose job it is to keep patients safe from dangerous doctors, should be notified when a doctor with addiction issues fails a drug test, right?

Senators Hill, Block and Jackson extracted that commitment from the California Medical Association and Senator Galgiani yesterday, at a hearing into Galgiani's bill, SB 1177, that would create a drug and alcohol abuse program for doctors at the California Medical Board.

The California Medical Association should get over its reactionary opposition to reform that would curb the prescription opioid and heroin overdose epidemic.

Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new painkiller prescription guidelines recommending that doctors check state prescription drug databases before prescribing opioids to a patient. This simple tool has been proven to reduce overprescribing, but only when doctors are required to use it.