State Highlights: Maryland House Votes To Prohibit Gay Conversion Therapy; Missouri Legislators Focus On More Restrictive Abortion Bills

The Associated Press: Maryland Lawmakers Vote To Ban 'Gay Conversion Therapy'
Maryland lawmakers voted Wednesday to prohibit health professionals from practicing "gay conversion therapy" on minors, after a legislator spoke of the pain she experienced when her parents sought it for her. Just days earlier, the woman's father, a state senator, voted against the bill. The House passed the bill 95-27, sending the measure to Gov. Larry Hogan. A spokeswoman for Hogan said the governor supports the bill. (4/4)

St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Republicans Push Several Abortion Proposals During Second Half Of 2018 Session
House Republicans are giving priority to bills that would place further restrictions on abortions as the 2018 session begins winding down. First, the House on Tuesday passed legislation designed to ban abortions on fetuses capable of feeling physical pain, which would in effect ban most of them at 20 weeks. (Griffin and Achenbach, 4/4)

The Associated Press: Baltimore Seeks US Supreme Court Review Of Abortion Ruling
Attorneys in Baltimore are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that struck down as unconstitutional an ordinance requiring pregnancy centers notify patients if they don't offer abortion or birth control services. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in January that the ordinance unconstitutionally compelled speech by Christian-based Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns Inc., which opposes abortion. (4/4)

The New York Times: California Family Gets $1.6 Million After 3-Year-Old Was Scarred By Bedbugs
A family in California whose son was permanently scarred by bedbug bites has been awarded nearly $1.6 million by a civil jury. It was the highest amount ever paid to a single family in a bedbug case in the United States, according to the family’s lawyer. (Caron, 4/4)

Health News Florida: Medicaid Changes And Other Health Legislation Highlights
From opioid prescription limits to an agreement on the regulation of trauma centers, it was a busy year for health care issues in the Florida Legislature. Health News Florida's Julio Ochoa sat down with Christine Sexton from the News Service of Florida to talk about what to expect from some of the new laws. (Ochoa, 4/5)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Bill Seeks Study Of Fairness In Asbestos Lawsuits, But Few Exist In N.H.
State lawmakers are considering a deeper study of asbestos issues in New Hampshire. It would look at how fairly and quickly people who were exposed to the toxic substance can get compensation. (Ropeik, 4/4)

WBUR: Mother Whose Son Was Fatally Shot By A Boston Cop Files A Civil Rights Lawsuit
A Boston woman whose son she says was unarmed when he was fatally shot by a Boston police officer is filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city. Terrence Coleman, a 31-year-old black man who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, died on Oct. 30, 2016, after being shot twice in the abdomen by Officer Garrett Boyle. (Swasey and Rios, 4/4)

St. Louis Public Radio: Mining Company Ordered To Clean Up Lead Contamination In St. Francois County
In a settlement announced Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Missouri ordered metal and mining company Doe Run Resources Corporation to clean up lead contamination in more than 4,000 residential properties in St. Francois County.The work is estimated to cost a total of $111 million. (Chen, 4/4)

The Washington Post: After A Dramatic Failure, Effort To Diversify Maryland’s Medical Marijuana Industry Moves Closer To Passage
A bill to diversify Maryland’s medical marijuana industry received final approval in the state Senate on Wednesday — after a similar effort to bring in more minority-owned businesses faced a bitter defeat in the final minutes of last year’s session. About one-third of Maryland residents are African American, but none of the 14 companies that have lucrative licenses to grow medical marijuana are led by black executives. The bill would increase the number of licenses for growers and processors, and it specifies that those licenses will be awarded in a process that gives preference to minority-owned businesses. (Chason, 4/4)

The Associated Press: Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill
A measure passed by the Maryland Senate on Wednesday aims to create opportunities for minority business owners to become licensed medical marijuana growers and processors. The measure was approved 42-3. The House and Senate still have to reconcile some differences in the legislation before the session ends at midnight Monday to send the bill to Gov. Larry Hogan. (Columbus, 4/4)

Sacramento Bee: Federal Agents Are Seizing About 100 Homes They Say Are Used To Grow Pot For A Chinese Crime Syndicate
In the largest operation of its kind, federal agents swept across the Sacramento region Tuesday and Wednesday targeting about 75 homes serving as suspected marijuana growing sites that authorities say are operated by a Chinese organized crime syndicate. (Stanton and Kasler, 4/4)