Missouri’s Voters Wanted Expanded Medicaid, But Governor Says It Won’t Happen
Gov. Mike Parson said the move was because of a lack of funding coming from the General Assembly. Elsewhere, Texas passes a 'heartbeat' anti-abortion bill, states consider their own bans on flavored tobacco, and the plan to house Los Angeles' Skid Row homeless hits a legal snag.
NPR:
Missouri Will Not Expand Medicaid Despite Voters' Wishes, Governor Says
The battle over Medicaid expansion in Missouri reached a new boiling point Thursday as Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, announced that the state will not implement expansion, in defiance of a ballot measure passed by voters last year. The decision stems from Republican state lawmakers' refusal to appropriate funds for the expansion to the state's Medicaid program, called MO HealthNet, in the state budget bill passed last week. (Sullivan, 5/13)
Houston Chronicle:
Texas Legislature Passes 'Heartbeat' Anti-Abortion Bill
State lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to sweeping new legislation that would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy and allow anyone to sue providers and others who violate the guidelines. The bill, a priority in the Republican-controlled Legislature, now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for an expected signature as early as Friday. It would take effect in early September. (Blackman and Goldenstein, 5/13)
Philadelphia Inquirer:
Philly Health Commissioner Resigns Over Cremating MOVE Victims Without Telling Family; Kenney Apologizes
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley resigned Thursday after admitting that he arranged for the cremation and disposal of remains from victims of the 1985 MOVE bombing found about four years ago in the city Medical Examiner’s Office, but without identifying the remains or notifying family members. Mayor Jim Kenney said he asked for Farley’s resignation after learning this week of the health commissioner’s actions in 2017. (McCrystal, Whelan and Goodin-Smith, 5/14)
Stateline:
As Feds Push Menthol Cigarette Ban States Weigh Broader Measures
At least eight states are considering legislation this year that would ban sales of all flavored tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, vaping products and smokeless tobacco such as snuff or chew. But critics say the proposed bans on menthol cigarettes could prompt police to target Black adults, who disproportionately use menthol tobacco products. The state measures also have hit turbulence after the federal Food and Drug Administration announced in April that the agency would move within a year to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. While backers of the state legislation say the federal move boosts the momentum for bans, opponents from the tobacco industry now argue that since the FDA is set to take action, states don’t have to. (Povich, 5/13)
Los Angeles Times:
Order To Offer Shelter To Everyone On L.A. Skid Row Paused
A panel of judges from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday temporarily froze the deadlines of a federal order to offer housing or shelter to everyone on Los Angeles’ skid row by October. Last month, the city and county of Los Angeles filed an appeal of a sweeping injunction from U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ordering urgent action to get people off skid row. In their appeal to the 9th Circuit, the city and county asked for the deadlines to be suspended while their appeal is heard. (Oreskes, 5/13)
Billings Gazette:
Montana Mental Health Situation Worsened By COVID-19, Expert Says
The COVID-19 pandemic has made a bad Montana mental health situation worse and more health care employees are needed, a Billings treatment center CEO told a Senate subcommittee Wednesday. Every part of the mental health industry has been stretched to the max during the pandemic, said Lenette Kosovich, Rimrock Foundation CEO. She told the Senate Finance Committee’s subcommittee on Health Care that a federal funding commitment to staffing will be needed long after the pandemic ends. (Lutey, 5/12)
Georgia Health News:
Will Mental Health Commission’s Ideas Be Ignored?
Last year, as Georgia endured the strain of COVID-19, a blue-ribbon commission quietly held regular meetings about how to improve mental health services in the state. The panel issued its report in January, just as the state Legislature convened in Atlanta for its annual session. The experts had spent over a year developing more than 50 recommended changes to the state’s laws, policies and budgetary priorities that they believed would improve the mental health of Georgians. (Grapevine, 5/13)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Family Files Medical Malpractice Lawsuit In Atlanta Teen’s Jail Death
The family of an 18-year-old who died two years ago at the Fulton County Jail has filed a lawsuit against the facility’s health care provider alleging the high schooler’s death could have been prevented. Tyrique Jameal Tookes was found dead in his cell May 4, 2019, after complaining of chest pain for about two weeks, the GBI said previously. The lawsuit recently filed by the teen’s parents alleges that Tookes would still be alive had the jail’s medical staff taken his complaints seriously and gotten him to the hospital for X-rays. (Abusaid, 5/13)
