L& I Date: Sat, Mar 30, 2002,
Hi,
At least one (and maybe up to four - this detail to be worked out nex week) State Representatives have come forward to say that they will submit the L&I petition to the Office of the Attorney General for a formal legal opinion.
If you, or your ARNP colleagues, have yet to endorse the L&I petition, then this would be an excellent time to do so in order to demonstrate our concern over L&I's disregard of our Scope of Practice and our Trade Rights. ARNPs from Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon are invited to endorse the petition since this issue affects health care practices over State lines.
The petition's last endorser (Kris Robinson, PhD, FNP, ARNP, Professor of Nursing, Idaho State University) writes: "It is appalling that any governmental agency supports legislation or rules that promotes restraint of trade and violates the Sherman Act. Free commerce is essential for a healthy economy. Moreover, restraint of trade creates barriers to health care access and denies the right of individuals to choose their primary care provider. Eliminating such barriers to health care is an overriding goal of Healthy People 2010 that calls for 'zero disparity'. I wholeheartedly support petitioning Washington State Legislators to lobby for an investigation into this matter by the Attorney General. Please add my name to the growing list of ARNPs who have endorsed the petition ( at http://www.primary-responsibility.org/ ) as noted above."
Thanks,
Nick Mason, ARNP
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