Sandy Reding, RN and president of California Nurses Association (CNA) – the state’s largest union of registered nurses and fiercest advocates for single-payer health care – issued the following statement denouncing the signing of S.B. 770:

“The governor’s disappointing and unnecessary decision to sign S.B. 770 is a complete betrayal of nurses’ fight for a single-payer health care policy, a fight striving to achieve health justice for our patients and our communities.

“In addition to demonstrating an utter lack of political courage, S.B. 770 is a tremendous waste of taxpayer resources. It not only preserves the status quo, but also duplicates the previous work of the Healthy California for All Commission under the Newsom administration, with its final report completed as recently as spring of 2022.”

“It is also no surprise that the health care industry did not come out in strong opposition to S.B. 770. The unified financing system that CalHHS will recommend does not need to guarantee health care for all. Uncoincidentally, the bill maintains wide latitude for insurers and health care organizations to keep doing business as usual and perpetuate the failed health care status quo.

“Nurses know all too well the injustices and inefficiencies of a health care system that places profits ahead of patients. Distractions like S.B. 770 have never and will never deter nurses – who are morally and legally obligated to be patient advocates – from our goal of securing health care as a human right, alongside our allies. The only way to achieve health justice is to, once and for all, pass single-payer health care in California.”  

CNA nurses have been leading the fight to guarantee health care as a right for all Californians since 1994. Through fierce organizing by nurses, the broader labor movement, and community allies, there is a strong foundation of public support in favor of passing single-payer health care. As a result of the signing of S.B. 770, the approximately 3.2 million Californians who are without access to health insurance will continue to suffer. Strengthened by Governor Newsom’s betrayal, nurses resolve to continue organizing statewide to build the movement for CalCare.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.