Minnesotans May Soon Get Paid Sick, Family Leave
The state Senate approved a plan that will allow for up to 12 weeks of partial compensation. Every Republican voted against the bill. Also: changes to Medicaid in Connecticut, nonbinary gender markers on driver's licenses in Indiana, and more.
AP:
Minnesota Senate Approves Paid Family And Medical Leave Plan
The Minnesota Senate approved a plan Monday to entitle workers across the state to paid leave when they’re sick or caring for relatives who are ill. While Senate Democrats hold only a one-seat majority, paid family and medical leave has been a priority of the party for several years, and the final 34-33 vote followed party lines. The proposal passed the House last week on a 68-64 vote, and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign the final version that emerges from a House-Senate conference committee. (Karnowski, 5/8)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
North Carolina Health News:
Medicaid Is An ‘Expensive Proposition’ For Free Clinics
For nearly 20 years, uninsured people in the Sandhills have turned to Moore Free and Charitable Clinic for medical services. Operating in a converted warehouse at the end of an unassuming road near Pinehurst in Moore County, the clinic provides free or low-cost care to patients with diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses. Construction is underway to add a dental treatment area to the facility. (Baxley, 5/9)
The CT Mirror:
CT Is Weighing Several Changes To Medicaid. Here's A Look At Them
Medicaid, known as HUSKY in Connecticut, provides health coverage to people with incomes below certain thresholds. Over a quarter of Connecticut residents currently receive coverage through Medicaid. The Connecticut General Assembly has proposed several changes to the state’s Medicaid program this legislative session. Here’s an overview of what they are and where they stand as the session enters its final month. (Golvala, Carlesso and DeBenedictis, 5/8)
The Texas Tribune and ProPublica:
Texas Public Records Loophole Used To Deny Release Of Suicide Reports
When Patty Troyan’s son Logan Castello died by suicide in November 2019 in his Central Texas home, she immediately tried to understand what prompted him to take his own life not long after getting married and days before a planned family Thanksgiving gathering. Castello was a 21-year-old private first class in the Army. He was stationed at Fort Hood but had died in his off-post home in Killeen, a city of about 156,000 people that abuts the massive military installation. Troyan assumed she’d get some details about what happened from the civilian police, who responded to the scene. (Davila, 5/9)
Indianapolis Star:
AG Rokita Appeals Suit Over Nonbinary Gender Marker On BMV Licenses
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's office is appealing a lawsuit that forced the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to reinstate its policy of issuing driver's licenses with an "X" listed as the gender marker for nonbinary residents. A group of mostly anonymous plaintiffs who identify as nonbinary sued the state in 2021 for clamping down on a BMV policy from 2019 that allowed people to select “X” instead of “M” or “F” for a gender designation on their ID. A Monroe County judge sided with the plaintiffs in December. (Magdaleno, 5/9)
KFF Health News:
California Debates Extending PTSD Coverage To More First Responders
A paramedic for about 30 years, Susan Farren knew all was not well with first responders: Eight of her colleagues had died by suicide. Others had grappled with substance abuse or gone through painful divorces. So, in 2018, Farren founded a nonprofit in Santa Rosa to train and support emergency personnel struggling with trauma and stress. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and other first responders have since availed themselves of the organization’s timely help. (Sciacca, 5/9)
In environmental health news —
Bloomberg:
Shell Chemical Fire: Texas Officials, Company Say There's Minimal Health Risk
Texas officials and Shell Plc sought to reassure worried residents that a three-day chemical fire at the company’s Deer Park plant poses minimal risks, even as advocates raised alarms. The blaze — which began Friday and flared up again over the weekend — ignited highly volatile, toxic fuels that sent black plumes of smoke over the Houston area. Firefighting efforts required wastewater runoff to be discharged into the Houston Ship Channel at an initial rate of 11,000 gallons a minute, and Shell reported a light sheen in the water Monday. (Xu, Dlouhy and Ferman, 5/8)
Detroit Free Press:
Health Officials: Odors Near Kalamazoo Factory Could Harm Neighbors
Air pollution near a Kalamazoo paper products company and the city's wastewater treatment plant could harm nearby residents' health over the long term, state health officials said Monday. (Matheny, 5/9)
