LAKE COUNTY ?Lake County”s district state assemblyman advocated for health services, the environment and rural sheriff”s departments during his first session, which adjourned late Sept. 11.
Assemblyman Wes Chesbro represents Lake, Mendocino, northern and western Sonoma, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties in the state legislature. Although he introduced a few bills this year, there was “not much progress in Sacramento,” he said.
Chesbro co-authored a bill that would allow community health clinics to be reimbursed for more than one service a day for patients, he said. The bill, AB 1445 passed unanimously in the assembly but stalled in the senate.
Without the bill, patients have to come back to get services another day, Chesbro said.
“There”s a good chance the person won”t come back, especially in a rural community,” he said.
He was proud that the assembly voted almost unanimously to restore the Healthy Families program, which was slated to disenroll children, Chesbro said.
“It”s not gonna happen now,” he said.
Chesbro thinks children should be covered by insurance, he said.
“Some working people fall between Medi-Cal and having the kind of job that provides full medical care,” he said.
Chesbro started a bill that would allow rural hospitals, such as those in Lake County, to directly employ physicians so they can successfully recruit physicians, he said. Chesbro aimed to pass it this year but it will be taken up in next year”s session.
“I”m just trying to help hospitals with a shortage,” Chesbro said.
Chesbro introduced a bill that will limit phosphorous flow into Clear Lake from Middle Creek. The senate and the assembly passed the bill, AB 74, and it”s “on the governor”s desk” waiting for his signature, Chesbro said.
“State parks are more crucial in my district than anywhere else,” Chesbro said.
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is at risk, but the state delayed closing parks, he said.
“You can”t just put a fence up and walk away,” Chesbro said. “Homeless camps and marijuana gardens will pop up.”
A rural sheriff program that gives departments $500,000 so that they can better serve the region may be cut, Chesbro said. He hopes it won”t be cut, because he thinks a permanent funding source has been set up from a .15-percent vehicle tax.
Chesbro said city people, including democrats, don”t understand the necessity for extra funding.
“They don”t think anybody lives out here or has any problems,” Chesbro said.
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
