Declarations

Qualifying Life Event

“This legislation will help expectant mothers get access to essential prenatal care and help build a stronger and healthier New York.”

—New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a new law that expands health insurance access to pregnant New Yorkers. On Dec. 22, 2015, Cuomo signed the bill, which makes New York the first state in the nation to make pregnancy a “qualifying life event” to obtain health insurance benefits at any time through the state’s health exchange.

Muddy Tragedy

“Whether she opened the door or not we don’t know for sure what happened, but she was in the area of the door and the husband heard a scream. He went to look and that’s when the mud was all in the house.”

—The Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue Marshal said a woman had gone to let one of her two dogs out when a landslide struck the home she shared with her husband on the central Oregon coast.

Flood Insurance Fairness

“We demand an opportunity as Floridians to have an open and transparent process to see how rates are developed and how rates are being used – since we’re paying 37 percent of the premium.”

—Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, in regards to his quest for fairness for Florida’s flood insurance rates.

Wildfire Detection

“Going forward, DNR fire control will rely solely on aircraft and citizen reporting for the detection of wildfires.”

—Trent Marty, director of the bureau of forest protection at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The DNR is taking dozens of towers built mainly in the 1930s and 1940s for spotting forest fires out of commission.

Land Loss Costs

“Every dollar we spend today on coastal restoration and protection will save us many, many more dollars in the future.”

—Chip Kline, chairman of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. A study conducted by the Louisiana State University Economics and Policy Research Group and the RAND Corp. shows that if land loss continues along Louisiana’s coast at the pace predicted by scientists the cost to the state’s economy would be in the billions of dollars. Louisiana has a 50-year, $50 billion coastal restoration master plan to stop land loss and is seeking federal financial support for it.