Cancer Advocates Release 2017 Legislative Scorecard

SACRAMENTO, Calif.  The voices of cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones are making a difference at the Capitol as evidenced by the critically-important cancer-fighting policies that passed the legislature in 2017. The advocacy affiliate for the American Cancer Society, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), released its 2017 Legislative Scorecard today and gave high marks to California legislators who voted in support of 18 bills that help prevent cancer or benefit cancer patients, survivors and their families.

Link to 2017 Legislative Scorecard. 

With a mission to end suffering and death from cancer, ACS CAN and its volunteer advocates take to the halls of the Capitol every year to convince lawmakers to make the fight against cancer a top priority. The ACS CAN 2017 Legislative Scorecard illustrates the role each California legislator played during the session’s achievements and failures on cancer policy.  The scorecard covers a wide-range of cancer policy issues and holds lawmakers accountable for their voting record in the following cancer-related issue areas:

• Access to care                                                 
• Environment
• Healthy eating & active living
• Cancer Research
• Tobacco
• Colorectal cancer
• Breast and cervical cancer
• Palliative care

“As the scorecard shows, there was tremendous progress in 2017, but much more needs to be done,” said ACS CAN California Managing Director Jim Knox. “This scorecard serves as a tool for the public, and anyone who cares about ending cancer, enabling them to get to know their representatives and their voting record when it comes to cancer-fighting policies.”

In California, more than 176,00 people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year and, unfortunately, about 60,000 will die from the devastating disease.

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.  ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.

CONTACT:
Steph Winn-McCorkle
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
[email protected]
(916) 802-4033