Sacramento - September 8, 2003 - Great news for our cause. A.B. 999, Assemblyman Jerome Horton's bill has passed the California legislature, by votes of 71-6 in the Assembly and 39-0 (yes, unanimously) in the Senate. It is headed to Governor Davis’ desk.
Assemblyman Horton’s bill will abolish Medi-Cal’s notorious system of “mercury fillings or no fillings” -- the accurate description used by the NAACP’s Emmitt Carlton at the Congressional hearings.
It has the endorsement of the California Council of Churches, California Nurses Association, California Citizens for Health Freedom, Physicians for Social Responsibility--Los Angeles, Dental Board of California, International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, American Academy of Biological Dentistry, Council of Black Nurses--Los Angeles, the NAACP of California, California Dental Association, Sierra Club, Center for Environmental Health, Baptist Pastors/Ministers Conference of Los Angeles, and Congress of California Seniors. The organizational sponsor is our group, the Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry. Dr. Terecita Dean of San Francisco also wrote an excellent letter for the bill.
Here’s how to write, phone, fax, or e-mail the Governor: Governor Gray Davis, State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
governor@governor.ca.gov
In the political sphere, as we are all aware, the Governor is under enormous pressure. To his great credit, he has consistently done the right thing to promote accurate consumer information about mercury fillings and consumer choice to get alternatives. We believe he will sign the bill. But writing letters always helps.
Charlie Brown
National Counsel
COALITION LETTER
Coalition to Abolish Mercury Dental Fillings
Post Office Box 664
Newport Beach, CA 92661
Phone 202.822-6307; fax 202.822-6309
www.toxicteeth.org
September 7, 2003
The Honorable Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento
fax: 916-445-4633
Please sign A.B. 999
Dear Governor Davis:
It is believed that A.B. 999 is headed to your desk!
We urge you to sign Assemblyman Jerome Horton's bill to abolish Medi-Cal's notorious "mercury fillings or no fillings" system. It will stop forcing low-income families, even children and pregnant women - to get mercury dental fillings, if they can find a dentist who will do alternatives at the same price. According to the testimony at the hearings, it will expand the number of participating dentists, because mercury-free dentists won't place mercury in children for obvious health reasons.
Our organization is the sponsor of the bill. It has no organizational opposition of which we are aware. It is endorsed by a broad group of Californians representing social justice, health care (nurses, physicians, dentists), consumer protection, and the environment: California Council of Churches, NAACP of California, California Nurses Association, Sierra Club, California Citizens for Health Freedom, Physicians for Social Responsibility--Los Angeles, Dental Board of California, International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, American Academy of Biological Dentistry, Council of Black Nurses--Los Angeles, California Dental Association, Center for Environmental Health, Baptist Pastors/Ministers Conference of Los Angeles, and Congress of California Seniors.
We urge you to sign it.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Charles G. Brown, National Counsel Anita Vazquez Tibau, California Director