HIV/AIDS: San Francisco AIDS Foundation Grades State Legislators, Davis

      The San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) has awarded Gov. Gray Davis (D) a "C+" in the organization's "Making the Grade: The 1999 California Legislative Report Card on HIV/AIDS." Fifty of the state's legislators received "A+"s and 37 others received failing grades in the report. SFAF based the grades on how the lawmakers voted on 10 HIV bills, including non-name-based HIV reporting (AB 103), the compromised version of the needle exchange bill (AB 136), Medi-Cal work entry coverage (AB 155), Medi-Cal managed care capitated rates (AB 217), sex education (AB 246), workers' compensation medical records confidentiality (AB 435), the comprehensive version of the needle exchange bill (AB 518), the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (AB 1047), workers' compensation benefits (SB 77) and medical marijuana research (SB 847). The booklet lists a short description of each bill and then how each legislator voted and their corresponding "grade." Lawmakers earning an "A+" voted in favor of each bill and were commended as "Honor Roll" recipients. Gov. Davis received a "C+" because he passed seven out of the 10 bills, vetoing three. The group said, "In 2000 and beyond, we hope that the Governor will expand upon the support that he has given to people living with HIV and AIDS this past year. We look forward to working with him to improve the lives of people living with HIV and to stop the spread of the epidemic." Additionally, SFAF recognized the following "outstanding members": Assembly members Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) and Kerry Mazzoni (D-Novato), Senate President Pro Tempore John Burton (D-San Francisco), Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) and state Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Whittier) (SFAF release, 1/18).