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8• AV ANNUAL CONFERENCE from page 1 .. ............................... The conference is timed to coincide with the intense, often- heated last week of the legislative session. The League will sponsor an early evening reception for city officials and their legisla- tors Tuesday evening at the Capitol Park — a perfect time to visit with your legislator in an informal setting. While the conference will offer several ses- sions that will focus on the proposed League ballot measure, there are numerous other sessions that will provide city officials with fresh insights and information that will be helpful in meeting the challenges forced by cities today. Budget - balancing strategies, ballot box finance measures, options for controlling health care costs, economic development, homeland security, establishing a culture for ethical actions, building effective local coalitions, and how to advocate through "earned media', are but a handful of the many sessions offered at this year's conference. California State Controller Steve Westly will address the Tuesday, September 9, General Session, and California Attorney General Bill Lockyer will introduce a session on "Children and Violence: Safe From the Start" — a project he developed that provides local government leaders with resources to improve the health and well being of children and families. Other featured keynote speakers are: • Frances Hesselbein, CEO of the Peter Drucker Foundation for Non - Profit Management, on "The Evolving role of Community Leaders and How City Officials Can Be More Effective', Open- ing General Session, Sunday, September 7. • Malcolm Gladwell, author of the bestseller The Tipping Point: How Little Thinas Can Make A Bia Difference: "How the Conditions for Efficient and Effective Change Can be Created in Order to Improve Your Community," General Session Tuesday, September 9. Noted humorist Mark Russell, of PBS fame, will be on hand Monday evening to add his always entertaining and amusing take on California poli- tics. (Just a guess, but we think he might have something to say about the California Recall!) The Conference• Exposition is also a huge draw, with hundreds of businesses and organiza- tions now signed up as participants. For more information, please visit the League's website at www.cacities.ora /ac. Please note that the pre- registration period is now closed, but that city officials can register on site. WORKERS COMP from page 1 Many government agency representatives, employers, insurance carriers, and labor representa- tives participated in the hearing, testifying on the implications of certain reform proposals. The most compelling proposal came from State Insurance Commissioner, John Garamendi. Commissioner Garamendi's proposal would save nearly $7 billion in workers' compensation costs. Details are available on the State Insurance website at www.insurance.ca.aov. The following is a summary: • Establish medical fee schedules for all parts of the workers' compensation medical system. • The treating physician presumption should be repealed for all workers' compensation related injuries, including those occurring prior to January 1, 2003. • Adopt a workers' compensation medical utilization structure that includes evidence-based clinical treatment guidelines, a strong definition of medical necessity, and a streamlined independent evaluation process. • When filling out a workers' compensation prescription, use generic drugs • The employer should have up to one year to deny a claim as opposed to the current 90 -day requirement. The employer would be responsible for Continued on Peas 9 PAGE 8 /PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site- •www.cacities.org