Today, moms met on the steps of CA's Capitol in Sacramento with funny glasses and an important message from CA MomsRising members: "Cutting vision benefits for kids is short-sighted policy!  Our leaders need glasses!"

You don't have to go to Sacramento to make a difference! From the comfort of your own computer, right now, you can provide online back-up for our on-the-ground volunteers in Sacramento by sending a letter to your legislator. Make sure your legislator knows that the MomsRising members in the Capitol today represent hundreds of MomsRising members across California who are relying on them to protect our children from disastrous cuts to their healthcare.

http://action.momsrising.org/cms/letter/CA_Budget_5-19-2010/

What's the lowdown? On Friday, the Governor released his revised budget for California, dealing another big blow to kids and families. In addition to increases in co-pays and premiums for kids in Medi-Cal and the Healthy Families Program, vision coverage would be completely eliminated for kids in the Healthy Families Program. Talk about a short-sighted policy! That's why hundreds of CA MomsRising members sent letters last week to the Governor and leaders in the California legislature urging them not to balance the budget on the backs of kids.

To make sure those letters are noticed, we're doing an in-person delivery TODAY of the printed messages from MomsRising members to the Governor and key California legislators, attached to funny cardboard reading glasses to make sure our message is crystal clear:

Vision benefits for kids in the Healthy Families Program shouldn't be on the chopping block. All eyes are focused on making sure the budget preserves essential health programs for kids that are critical for success in school. The budget shouldn't be balanced on the backs of kids.

Send this message to your legislators today!:http://action.momsrising.org/cms/letter/CA_Budget_5-19-2010/

Why the delivery? We need CA legislators to "see us clearly" asking them to stand strong for CA kids! A strong package for children's health coverage is vital to ensure healthy development, to prevent and manage chronic conditions, and to help children succeed in school and in life. For example, children need dental coverage - but over 500,000 California children missed one or more school day as a result of oral health problems, costing school districts almost $30 million in 2007.

Children also need vision coverage in order to read, see the blackboard in class, and play safely during recess. For the roughly 4.5 million children in California who rely on Medi-Cal and Healthy Families as their only source of affordable health coverage, it is absolutely critical that the health, dental, and vision benefits of these programs be preserved.

Let's give the MomsRising members at the Capitol some back-up!  It's easy to show your support:

http://action.momsrising.org/cms/letter/CA_Budget_5-19-2010/

And please pass this blog post along to your CA friends and neighbors.

Thanks to every MomsRising member for all you do for families!