Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Anti-Transgender Legal Moves Advance, Stumble
The Advocate: John Bel Edwards Won't Support Bills That Ban Transgender Athletes, Restrict Medical Treatment
Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday he will not back bills that would place curbs on transgender athletes and other proposals that would restrict minors pursuing transgender treatments. "I am concerned about emotionally fragile people," Edwards told reporters. The brief comments could signal the death knell of the bills at the start of the second week of Louisiana's two-month session. (Sentell, 4/19)
Oklahoman: Despite NCAA Rebuke, Oklahoma House Advances Transgender Sports Bill
Despite a warning that legislation limiting transgender participants in sports could keep future NCAA events out of Oklahoma, the state House advanced a bill that would prevent transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. Following more than two hours of fierce discussion and debate Monday, the Oklahoma House passed legislation aimed at preventing "male-bodied athletes” from participating in female sports at K-12 schools, colleges and universities. The GOP-controlled House passed Senate Bill 2, which states: "Athletic teams designated for 'females,' 'women' or 'girls' shall not be open to students of the male sex." (Forman, 4/19)
Dallas Morning News: Texas Business Leaders Urge Lawmakers To Oppose Anti-Transgender Legislation
Texas employers are urging state lawmakers not to pass legislation that is considered anti-transgender, including bills that would exclude transgender children from competing in sports and from accessing health care. Amazon, American Airlines, Facebook and IBM Corp. were just some of the more than 40 employers opposing the bills in a letter released Monday by Texas Competes, a coalition of Texas businesses in support of a more inclusive Texas. (Thompson, 4/19)
The Boston Globe: Activists See Political Motivations Behind Wave Of GOP Bills Targeting Transgender Kids
What does a wave of legislation targeting transgender children in state houses across the country have in common with the recent furor among Republicans over “cancel culture” and Dr. Seuss? More than you might think — at least according to LGBTQ rights’ advocates, who are working to fend off the bills. They argue that Republicans are targeting transgender youth now as a way to score political points with a segment of their base at a time when the party is out of power at the federal level and squabbling over some of the fundamental policies that used to unite them — from fiscal conservatism to cozying up to big business. (Goodwin, 4/19)
In other news from the states —
Anchorage Daily News: A 50-Year Data Trove Shows Alaska Native People Are Getting Cancer At Higher Rates. It Also Shows Opportunities To Save Lives
Data in a new report published by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium shows that Alaska Natives currently have the highest recorded incidence from at least one type of cancer — colorectal cancer — in the world. It also shows that while rates of colorectal cancer among white people in the U.S. have declined over the last 50 years, those rates have remained high among Alaska Natives, representing a growing disparity. Cancer has long been a leading cause of death among Alaska Native people, since at least the late 1980s. But the new report includes over 50 years of data that will ultimately be used to track long-term cancer trends, and that can help save lives, researchers say. (Berman, 4/19)
AP: North Dakota Backs Health Care For Fallen Officers' Families
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed bipartisan legislation Monday that will cover the cost of health insurance for the surviving spouses and children of emergency responders killed in the line of duty. The bill, sponsored by Grand Forks Democrat Rep. Zac Ista, covers law enforcement, corrections officers, firefighters and other public-employed emergency workers. Ista said 17 other states, including neighboring Minnesota, offer similar benefits to surviving families. (MacPherson, 4/19)
Fox News: Los Angeles Mayor Proposes $24M Pilot Basic Income Program In Budget
Eric Garcetti, the Democrat mayor of Los Angeles, outlined the city’s budget that takes effect on July 1 and includes $24 million earmarked for a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program that will provide 2,000 low-income families with $1,000 a month for the year. Fox 11 reported that Garcetti called the program the largest in the country and said the families will receive the funds, "no questions asked." "We’re betting that one small but steady investment for Angeleno households will pay large dividends for health and stability across our city and light a fire across our nation," he said. (DeMarche, 4/20)
The Washington Post: He Raised Over $40,000 On Facebook To Feed Hungry Neighbors During The Pandemic. Now He Owes $16,000 In Taxes.
When Louis Goffinet, a middle school science teacher in Connecticut, first started buying groceries for struggling families, he never expected to be handling tens of thousands of dollars. Determined to help a few elderly or laid-off neighbors last April, he appealed to his Facebook friends to throw him a few bucks on an online fundraiser. Much to his surprise, that effort quickly drew hundreds of donors from around the world. By July, Goffinet had raised more than $30,000, using the money to buy and deliver bags of food — as well as gas and rental assistance — for more than a hundred families in Mansfield Center, Conn. The bad news came in January, in an envelope from the Internal Revenue Service: He owed about half that amount in taxes. (Armus, 4/19)
