Utah Gov. Signs Bill Restricting Trans People’s Access To Public Restrooms
The new anti-trans law also defines the legal definition of "male" and female" based on a person's genitalia instead of gender identity. Meanwhile, in Florida, trans people can no longer update their driver's licenses to match gender identity — a move not prompted by any new law.
Axios:
Utah Governor Signs Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill on Tuesday that would ban transgender people's access to public restrooms and locker rooms. "We want public facilities that are safe and accommodating for everyone and this bill increases privacy protections for all," said Cox, who is running for re-election this year, in a statement. (Bojorquez, 1/30)
The 19th:
Trans People In Florida Can No Longer Update Their Driver’s Licenses
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will no longer update a transgender person’s driver’s license with their correct gender identity, according to an internal agency memo sent last week — a move that was not prompted by any new law. The new policy “pertains solely to replacement license requests,” the agency’s director of communications said in an emailed statement. This would affect transgender adults across the state, since people typically update their documentation after, or while, undergoing medical treatments or socially transitioning. (Rummler, 1/30)
More health news from across the U.S. —
NBC News:
Ohio Reverses Local Menthol Tobacco Bans, Infuriating Doctors
On New Year's Day, the city of Columbus, Ohio, did what the federal government has not been able to: ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. Three weeks later, the state Legislature voted to reinstate menthol and other flavored tobacco products. ... The move has frustrated public health officials in Ohio who say residents are already at greater risk of dying early from smoking-related diseases. The state has one of the highest smoking rates among adults in the country: 17.1%, compared to the national rate of 11.5%, according to the American Cancer Society. (Edwards, 1/30)
AP:
Fentanyl State Of Emergency Declared In Downtown Portland, Oregon
Several elected leaders in Oregon declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for downtown Portland over the public health and public safety crisis fueled by fentanyl. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson made the declaration for a 90-day period during which collaboration and response will come from a command center downtown. The three governments are directing their agencies to work with first responders in connecting people addicted to the synthetic opioid with resources including drug treatment programs and to crack down on drug sales. (1/30)
Missouri Independent:
Psychedelic Therapy Debate To Missouri General Assembly
Republican lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require Missouri to conduct a clinical study on using psilocybin, more commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care. Last year, the House overwhelmingly approved the measure. But it never made it to a final House vote. (Rivas, 1/30)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Two Rural Minnesota Labor Wards Are On The Brink Of Closure
There’s a public hearing Tuesday evening in Fosston, in northwest Minnesota, on a decision to stop delivering babies at the hospital in town. It is the second hospital this month to announce a closure of its delivery ward. Mayo Clinic in New Prague also said it intends to close its ward. That means pregnant people in Fosston and New Prague will have to travel longer distances to find an obstetric unit that delivers babies. (Wurzer and Finn, 1/30)
Los Angeles Times:
Fire Within Castaic Landfill Raises Worry Over Toxic Air
As operators struggle to contain a smoldering fire and pressure buildup deep within Chiquita Canyon Landfill, air quality regulators are raising alarms over the potential health risks posed by the toxic fumes escaping the Castaic facility. Environmental regulators say that the local air and water samples have contained elevated levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical that evaporates easily. They also have reprimanded Waste Connections, the landfill’s owner, for failing to report the leaks when they first occurred and for not providing area residents with air quality data. (Briscoe,, 1/30)
KFF Health News:
Montana Vows Changes To Avoid Delayed Contracts. Some Health Providers Still Await Back Pay
The head of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services said the agency has nearly cleared its backlog of incomplete contracts that risked people’s access to health services. Even so, some organizations say the state still owes them tens of thousands of dollars for services already provided. (Houghton, 1/31)
