State Highlights: Ohio Legislature Mulls Bill Banning Down-Syndrome Related Abortions; Mental Health Experts Struggle With Chicago’s Gun Violence
Media outlets report on news from Ohio, New Hampshire, California, Illinois and Minnesota.
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Abortion Opponents Call Abortion Of Fetus With Down Syndrome Discrimination And Eugenics
Senators on the Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee are considering Senate Bill 164, sponsored by Sen. Frank LaRose, a Hudson Republican and secretary of state candidate, which would ban abortions if medical tests show a fetus may have Down syndrome. People who terminate such pregnancies would face fourth-degree felony charges. (Hancock, 8/22)
PBS NewsHour:
Chicago’s Gun Violence Crisis Is Also A Mental Health Crisis
In 2016, there were more than 4,000 shootings and 762 homicides in the city, according to the Chicago Police Department — a nearly 60 percent increase from 2015. ... Between 2009 and 2012, the state cut $113.7 million in funding for mental health services, according to National Alliance on Mental Illness’ (NAMI) Chicago branch. (Connelly Holmes, 8/22)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
State Making Mixed Progress Finding Applicants For Mental Health Reforms
Earlier this year, the legislature passed a package of reforms meant to expand access to mental health treatment. New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services is having mixed success soliciting vendors to oversee those changes — they’ve received multiple proposals for some projects but none for others. (McDermott, 8/22)
Los Angeles Times:
Jury Begins Deliberating Sanity Of Man Convicted Of Killing Newport Beach Urologist
An Orange County Superior Court jury began deliberating Tuesday whether a 79-year-old Lake Elsinore man was legally insane the day he fatally shot his former Newport Beach doctor in 2013. On Monday, the 12-member jury swiftly convicted Stanwood Elkus, a retired barber, of first-degree murder in the slaying of Dr. Ronald Gilbert, who had been Elkus’ urologist years earlier. Prosecutors said Elkus used a fake name to get an appointment in Gilbert’s Newport office, where he shot the 52-year-old physician 10 times after he walked into the exam room. (Fry, 8/22)
Denver Post:
Children's Hospital Colorado Preparing 25 New Cancer Trials
Doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado hope to launch as many as 25 new clinical trials in the next six months after a recently signed federal law opened the floodgates to test experimental cancer drugs for children .“The pediatric oncology community is really excited,” said Dr. Lia Gore, the director of Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. While there are hundreds of cancer drugs in development to treat adults, research on pediatric cancer drugs has historically lagged. Gore said essentially only four new drugs have been approved to treat childhood cancer since 1979. (Ingold, 8/22)
Columbus Dispatch:
Fewer Babies Dying In Franklin County Amid Efforts To Educate On Infant Mortality
In 2016, there were 165 total infant deaths in Franklin County, 8.7 deaths per 1,000 births, according to Columbus Public Health. ... Numbers from this year are beginning to show some improvement: From Jan. 1 through the end of June, 72 babies died in Franklin County. That’s on pace for a nearly 13 percent reduction from last year’s 165 total baby deaths. (Perry, 8/23)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
New Ohio Law Requires Organ Donation Education In Schools
House Bill 438 requires a half hour of instruction in organ donation as part of the regular health class curriculum in every school district. ... The bill's passage was great news for Lifebanc, a locally-based non-profit organization that educates and facilitates organ donation in 20 Ohio counties. (Morice, 8/22)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Appeals Court Increases Judgment Against Lorain County Health District In Lawsuit Over Director's Firing
A federal appeals court has increased a judgment obtained by the former Lorain County coroner and General Health District health director, after a jury found that he was wrongly fired and endured retaliation. A jury in May 2016 originally awarded Paul Matus $1.36 million -- $1 million of which was for his retaliation claim. (Heisig, 8/22)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Hennepin County Pushes For Lead Paint Removal
Hennepin county officials, with millions more in grant money, are looking for families living with lead paint in their homes. The county is getting $3.4 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund the grants. (Moylan, 8/22)
