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CANA GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Welcome to the Government Relations Page for CANA. The Government Relations Committee of CANA is responsible for monitoring legislative and regulatory activities in California that impact healthcare policy, particularly as it relates to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. The committee works closely with our legislative advocate, Governmental Advocates Inc. to be “part of the solution for a healthier California”. In this section you have direct access to committee members and our advocates, Andrew Govenar and Melissa Cortez. You will also find highlights of current work in progress such as our recent work on SB 358, and pending legislation and a profile of prominent individuals in the California political process. See the section on Senator Aanestad who has a long commitment to healthcare policy, particularly in rural districts. He has a record of support for CRNA practice and patient access to our service. This month we would like to add a profile of United States Congresswoman Mary Bono, from the Inland Empire's 45th Congressional District.
State Government Relations (GRC) Committee
Report On January 6, 2003, the legislative session will convene and healthcare will remain a priority despite a budget that may not have the funding to support new or existing programs. Senator Jackie Spier has introduced SB 2, which proposes employer-based health coverage. Senator Sheila Kuehl has publicly stated that she will introduce legislation dealing with universal health coverage. CANA, and our legislative advocates Hedy Govenar, Andrew Govenar and Melissa Cortez, will continue to be proactive in monitoring legislation and regulation. Our agenda remains the same: patient safety, and patient access to our services. Rural healthcare and obstetric anesthesia access will be a priority again this year. The GRC also has plans to reestablish a key contact network that includes all geographical locations and covers all legislative districts. Please contact us if you are interested in serving in this capacity.
Election Results
Regulatory Issues We also request that you contact your representative and develop a working relationship so that he or she may see first hand that CRNA's are active members in their community–not just another special interest group.
Nurse Anesthetists Week State Legislative Member Profile: Senator Sam Aanestad
Dr. Aanestad has practiced oral and maxillofacial surgery full-time in Grass Valley, and has served as the Vice-Chief of Surgery at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. He served three terms on the California Dental Association Council on Legislation, including three years as chairman, and he served two terms as president of the Butte-Sierra District Dental Society. He is also a member of the California and American Dental Associations. Dr. Aanestad served 11 years on the Grass Valley School District Board of Trustees, where he fought for greater local control and smaller class sizes. He has been very involved within his community as a member of the Rotary Club of Grass Valley, a youth soccer, football, and baseball coach, and as a member of the KNCO radio broadcast team for Nevada Union High School football. Senator Aanestad received both his Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles. He then did a four-year Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency at Highland Hospital in Oakland. Dr. Aanestad received a Master in Public Administration degree from Golden Gate University in 1991. He was honored by the UCLA School of Dentistry as their "Alumnus of the Year" in November 1998. In the California State Senate, Dr. Aanestad's top priorities are preserving rural health care, protecting North State water, and serving the needs of the citizens of the 4th Senate District, which includes Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba counties.
Federal
Political Director Report
May 10, 2004 Federal Legislative Member Profile: Congresswoman Mary Bono "Mary
Bono (is) the embodiment of powerful American womanhood"
Rep. Bono represents California's 45th Congressional District, located in southeastern California in a region known as the "Inland Empire." The district is encompassed by a diverse geography, including deserts, mountains and agricultural space, as well as the Colorado River and the Salton Sea. Congresswoman Bono serves on the prestigious Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues such as energy, telecommunications, health care and the environment. Within the committee, Rep. Bono sits on the following four subcommittees: Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet , Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, and the Subcommittee on the Environment and Hazardous Materials. In addition, Bono serves as chair of the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force and as vice-chair of the Entertainment Task Force and the Travel and Tourism Task Force. Bono is also the founder and co-chair of the Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus and founding co-chair of the Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention Caucus. Rep. Bono has established herself as a leader in Congress based on her efforts to improve the nation's health care, the environment and the economy. Because of her consistent voting record on these issues, Bono has received numerous awards from major organizations such as: Americans for Tax Reform, National Federation of Independent Businesses and the National Association of Manufacturers, among others. Perhaps one of her most significant legislative achievements, Congresswoman Bono succeeded in 2000 in passing legislation that established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Monument in the Palm Springs region. In addition, Congresswoman Bono successfully moved legislation to compensate the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Tribe for land lost in 1908. The agreement settled the longest-ever ongoing litigation in the Ninth Circuit Court of California. Rep. Bono has also passed landmark legislation that calls for country-of-origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as two pieces of energy-saving legislation that rewards companies for utilizing clean burning fuel technologies. The Congresswoman has sponsored legislation that provides funding for obesity studies and national improved nutrition programs. Congresswoman Bono has repeatedly secured millions of dollars for transportation and environmental improvement projects in the 45th district, and has been at the forefront of working to curb the bark beetle problem in the San Bernardino forest areas. Bono has also been a key voice in Congress on working to find a solution to clean up and protect the endangered Salton Sea. Rep. Bono has been the subject of numerous profiles for a wide array of publications and television shows, including: CNN's Larry King Live, NBC's The Today Show, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, PEOPLE, Capital Style, ELLE Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Esquire, GEORGE Magazine, Good Housekeeping, HELLO Magazine, Ladies' Home Journal, and PBS. In 1998 Rep. Bono was named one of the Most Fascinating Women of 1998 by Ladies' Home Journal magazine in conjunction with CBS Television. She was also selected by the former GEORGE Magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics. Congresswoman Bono was born in 1961 in Cleveland, Ohio. Two years later her family moved to South Pasadena, California, where she enjoyed a warm family upbringing. Bono's father, Clay Whitaker, is a retired physician and surgeon. Her mother, Karen, is a retired chemist. As a youth Mary pursued her first love, gymnastics. With her family's support, Mary became an accomplished gymnast while training with the team Gymnastics Olympica. Her dedication to physical fitness continues to this day. A 1984 graduate of the University of Southern California, Mary earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art history. Mary worked her way through college, sometimes working two jobs at once. Following college, Mary wed Sonny Bono, and resided with him and their two children, Chesare Elan, now 14, and Chianna Marie, now 12, in Palm Springs, until Sonny's tragic death in 1998. On November 24, 2001, Congresswoman Bono married businessman Glenn Baxley, and they continue to reside in Palm Springs. In addition to time spent with her family, Mary's interests range from outdoor activities to a passion for computer technology.
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Sam
Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who was
elected to the California State Legislature in 1998 to represent the 3rd
Assembly District. In 2002, Aanestad was elected to the California State
Senate. Dr. Aanestad and his wife, Susan, have lived in the 4th Senate
District since 1980 and have three grown children.
In
2000, Congresswoman Mary Bono resoundingly swept the 45th District
Congressional election with a 65 percent majority, earning her third term
in office. Congresswoman Bono was first elected to Congress in 1998, after
a special election was held to fill the seat left vacant by her late
husband, Sonny Bono.