From The State Capitols: Soda Taxes; Medicaid Funding; Individual Mandates; Abstinence-Only Sex Education; And More
State legislature news comes from Connecticut, Oregon, Georgia, California, Colorado, Utah, Maryland, Arizona and Florida.
Los Angeles Times:
California Lawmakers Propose Soda Tax, Outlawing Super-Size Sugary Drinks
California restaurants and stores would be prohibited from selling “Big Gulp”-style sodas and consumers would face taxes on sugar-sweetened soft drinks under bills announced Wednesday by five state lawmakers to address a “public health crisis” of obesity in the Golden State. The proposals include a ban on the sale of unsealed "sugar-sweetened beverage" portions larger than 16 ounces at food-service businesses, including restaurants with self-service soda fountains, stores such as 7-Eleven, and sports arenas. (McGreevy, 2/20)
The Hill:
Connecticut Governor Pitches Statewide Soda Tax
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) wants his state to become the first to levy an extra tax on sugary drinks and sodas. In a budget proposal rolled out Wednesday, Lamont asked legislators to impose a new 1.5 cents per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The tax would generate about $163 million in new revenue for the next fiscal year, Lamont's office estimated. (Wilson, 2/20)
The Associated Press:
Oregon House Advances Medicaid Funding Protections
The Oregon House has approved a measure to protect a revenue stream that injects more federal funds into the state’s Medicaid program. Legislators voted 44 to 15 Tuesday to extend the expiration date of the state’s health care assessment program to 2025. The program is a tax on health care providers and is common practice by states to draw down extra federal Medicaid funds. The bill also extends the state’s tax on health insurers which proponents say will further stabilize preventative healthcare costs. (2/19)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia House Democrats Oppose Medicaid Waiver Bill
Georgia Democrats in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday stood together to denounce Gov. Brian Kemp’s health care proposal to deal with poor and middle-class Georgians struggling with health care costs. At a press conference called on the steps inside the state Capitol, they said the bill falls short of a cheaper, stronger, faster solution the state ought to enact but hasn’t because of Republican ideology. (Hart, 2/20)
Palm Springs Desert Sun:
Health Insurance: California Bills Would Reinstate Individual Mandate
Lawmakers in California have introduced bills that would reinstate the individual mandate, requiring all state residents to have health insurance starting in 2020 or pay a tax penalty. Identical bills introduced in the state Senate and Assembly are an attempt to reverse the revocation by Congress of the federal mandate that was part of the Affordable Care Act. (Hayden, 2/20)
The New York Times:
As Colorado Moves To Bar Abstinence-Only Sex Education, Teenagers Take The Lead
Last year, when Clark Wilson was in eighth grade, his sex education teacher repeatedly rolled a piece of tape on a table until it lost its stickiness, using words like “tainted” and “impure” to describe those who engage in premarital sex. The lesson: “People are like tape and once they have sex they’re dirty and can’t have meaningful relationships,” said Clark, now 15 and a freshman at a Colorado high school in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch. (Levin, 2/21)
The Associated Press:
Mormon Church Won't Oppose Gay Conversion Therapy Ban
The Mormon church won't stand in the way of a proposal to ban gay conversion therapy for minors in its home base of Utah, leaders said Wednesday, a position that advocates heralded as a milestone in the conservative state. The announcement is key in part because LGBT members have historically reported that church leaders encouraged them to attend therapy aimed at changing their sexual orientation, said Troy Williams with the group Equality Utah. (2/20)
The Washington Post:
Gender-Neutral Licenses: Maryland Senate Gives Initial Approval Despite Republican Objections
The Maryland Senate gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill allowing gender-neutral driver’s licenses, an option already available in five states and the District. The legislation would give applicants the option to identify as male, female or unspecified. For applicants who request it, the Motor Vehicle Administration would be required to issue licenses or identification cards that show an “X” instead of an “M” for male or an “F” for female. (Wiggins, 2/20)
Arizona Republic:
DNA Database Legislation: New Version Of Bill Passes Senate Committee
The controversial bill that initially proposed an unprecedented statewide DNA database passed an Arizona Senate committee Wednesday after being stripped practically beyond recognition. The third iteration of Senate Bill 1475 in less than 72 hours now focuses specifically on testing samples obtained via a rape kit using Rapid DNA technology. But it appears to benefit a single company that provides the technology to the state. (Burkitt, 2/20)
Miami Herald:
FL Senate Advances Bill To End Ban On Smoking Medical Pot
With several amendments, heated debates and about three weeks to spare, the Senate’s bill to repeal a ban on smokable medical marijuana is headed to the floor before the March 15 deadline set by Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis in January tasked the Legislature with amending Florida law to allow smoking medical marijuana. If legislators don’t by the deadline, the governor said he will do so with litigation. (Gross, 2/20)
