Our health care system is the finest in the world but we still have too many uninsured Americans too high prices for prescription drugs and too many frivolous lawsuits driving our physicians out of state or out of business.

During the last regular session and the most recent special session measures that I see as little more than Band-Aids were applied to three health programs in the state.

As state leaders I think its important for us to provide our perspectives on issues we face every day - like access to school spending access to health care and governing in a global economy.

In this most powerful nation in the world lack of access to health care should not force local and state governments companies and workers into bankruptcy while causing unnecessary illness and hospitalization.

I recently formed a foundation to raise awareness for prostate cancer. I feel it's very necessary that men be more aware about prostate cancer and their health in general.

We must seek to persuade member states and institutions that better regulation in Europe does not mean cutting health and safety in the workplace nor does it mean dismantling social standards.

In turn more physicians hospitals and other health care providers are severely limiting their practices moving to other states or simply not providing care.

Order is the sanity of the mind the health of the body the peace of the city the security of the state. Like beams in a house or bones to a body so is order to all things.

I have worked to expand the health care debate beyond the current for-profit system to include a public option and an amendment to free the states to pursue single payer.

Originally created to serve the poorest and sickest among us the Medicaid program has grown dramatically but still doesn't include the kind of flexibility that states need to provide better health care for the poor and disadvantaged.