Last year, consumers across the United States spent more than $80 billion on gift cards.

In the state of Florida alone, $430 million in gift card value went unredeemed.

Florida PIRG stood up to companies that make an enormous profit on unredeemed gift cards by using expiration dates and other fees that make it harder for consumer to reclaim the full value of their gift cards.

This year, state lawmakers decided to put an end to this practice and eliminated the ability of companies to use expiration dates and dormancy fees on gift cards.

Florida PIRG is encouraging the governor to sign this pro-consumer bill (SB 638).

Sports Subsidies Should Require Voter Approval

It’s one thing to cheer on your hometown sports team. It’s quite another to use public funds to underwrite profit for the wealthy owners of that team. Unfortunately, that’s what’s happening in Florida.

Florida PIRG opposes giving taxpayer subsidies to wealthy, sports team owners without taxpayer approval.

This year, Florida PIRG-backed legislation was filed that would require voter approval of any decision by local or state governmental entities that involves the use of tax dollars to subsidize the construction or renovation of large sports facilities.

“Our tax dollars should not be given away to multi-billion dollar private sector sports businesses and facilities—unless the voters have approved it,” said Phineas Baxandall, Florida PIRG budget & tax policy expert.

Lawmakers did not pass this bill but similar legislation is likely to appear next year.

Carbon Monoxide Bill Passes Legislature

Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels burn incompletely.

According to the National Safety Council, 200 to 300 injuries or deaths occur each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Several carbon monoxide-related deaths in Florida hotels led lawmakers to pass Florida PIRG-backed legislation that will require hotels to install carbon monoxide sensors in rooms with machinery that generates carbon monoxide.

The bill also requires that, beginning July, 2008, any new construction with a fossil-fuel burning heater or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage has a carbon monoxide alarm installed within 10 feet of all bedrooms.

Florida PIRG Works To Save The Voters’ Voice

State lawmakers recently passed several bills that will further inhibit the ability of grassroots groups to wage ballot initiative campaigns.

One of these bills (SB 920) will make it legal for the owners of quasi-public spaces to pick and choose which petition gatherers may work on in front of their businesses.

Another bill (SB 900) will create a process allowing individuals to revoke their signed petition if they change their minds.

“Both of these bills erode the ability of Floridians to directly address statewide issues by making it more difficult to meet Florida’s already high ballot initiative signature requirements,” said Florida PIRG’s Brad Ashwell. “We will continue to defend citizens’ access to government.”

House Moves To Harness Medicare’s Buying Power

A PIRG-backed bill would harness the buying power of Medicare to drive better deals on prescription drugs for millions of Americans.

The bill, adopted by the House in January, would allow the Medicare program to negotiate bulk-purchase discounts for prescription drugs. As this newsletter goes to print, the Senate Finance Committee has taken up the bill. When Congress created the prescription drug benefit in 2003, lawmakers prohibited Medicare from negotiating discounted prices with drug manufacturers, a concession to the pharmaceutical industry.

The House vote is a move to correct that mistake. The Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act would save money for taxpayers, who pay for nearly 75 percent of the drug program. It would also lower drug costs for seniors in the “doughnut hole” coverage gap, who have to pay thousands of dollars for their medications.

TJX Data Breach: Need for ID Theft Reform

The January disclosure of a data security breach at TJX stores (including TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls) gave advocates new ammunition for our identity theft work.

The breach is just the latest demonstration of why identity theft reforms are needed. New laws, based on a model law developed by U.S. PIRG, the federation of state PIRGs, and Consumers Union, have already been enacted in over two dozen states, requiring timely notification of any data breaches.

TJX not only failed to announce the breach for several months—in February they reported that the data breach happened at least 10 months earlier than previously thought.

With no national requirement for disclosure of breaches, and no penalty for companies, there’s little recourse for consumers.

The attorneys general of Massachusetts and Rhode Island have opened formal investigations into the conduct of TJX over the breach.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, herself a victim of identity theft, has promised to make cracking down on the crime a priority of her tenure.

Both MASSPIRG and Maryland PIRG are leading efforts to give their residents the right to timely notification of corporate data breaches and the right to place lowcost, easy-to-use security freezes on their credit reports.

Local Campaigns Defend Public Transit Alternatives

	STATE TRANSIT CAMPAIGNS—Eric Bourassa is advocating better public transit in Massachusetts, one of several states where PIRGs are pushing for better transit policies.

PIRG campaigns nationwide are seeking to advance public transportation that helps people save time and energy, while cutting pollution from cars and trucks.

In California, we’re building a statewide coalition of seniors, environmental advocates, disability rights advocates, and others to sign onto a platform opposing cuts to transit funding. CALPIRG is also educating opinion leaders about the proposed cuts in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget.

In Illinois, a combination of outdated public funding mechanisms and rising costs has forced some tough decisions. Illinois PIRG hopes to partner with community groups this summer to run a public education campaign on transit advocacy.

In Massachusetts, the local transit authority has raised fares for the third time in seven years, in part to pay off debt incurred by projects related to the “Big Dig” construction project.

MASSPIRG is helping to organize a Transportation Investment Coalition that includes business and labor interests, as well as public interest and environmental groups.

In 2006, in Pennsylvania, PennPIRG supported Gov. Ed Rendell’s plan to create dedicated transit funding through fees on oil companies.

Thousands of PennPIRG members and other supporters have signed postcards to legislators calling for action to improve the state’s transit system.

Cutting Excessive Subsidies To Oil And Gas Companies

We applauded the U.S. House of Representatives in January, as lawmakers voted 264 to 63 to pass the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6).

The bill would repeal tax breaks and subsidies for the oil industry and invest more than $4 billion in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

“This legislation is good news for consumers and our environment,” said U.S. PIRG’s Kate Johnson. “Our dependence on oil can only mean wrenching price hikes in the years to come. We need to develop alternative fuels and we need to start now.”

Our staff helped write and promote the legislation, which was included in Speaker Pelosi’s “ 100 hours” agenda.

The fund created by the bill could be used to promote energy efficiency, expand research and development of clean energy technologies, and extend tax credits for clean energy sources.