Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Calif. Gov. Brown Signs Array Of Laws Indicating What's Next On His To-Do List
Los Angeles Times: Gov. Jerry Brown Targets His Next Priorities As He Decides On Final Slate Of Bills
Sprinkled throughout his signing statements and veto messages were clear indications of his next priorities. Brown emphasized his wish to find firmer financial footing for public healthcare; ease voter-approved restrictions on the cost of water in the face of an unrelenting drought; and begin a wide-ranging examination of the state's criminal justice system. ... The governor needled lawmakers on the impasse over a healthcare tax while vetoing legislation such as proposed expansions of Medi-Cal benefits, saying they would be unwise "until the fiscal outlook … is stabilized." The tax is a key issue for next year, when California faces the loss of $1 billion in funding from Washington unless lawmakers agree to broaden a levy on healthcare plans so it complies with federal law. (Mason and Megerian, 10/12)
Los Angeles Times: Brown OKs Bill Implementing State-Paid Healthcare For Kids In U.S. Illegally
A new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown Friday cements California's expansion of public healthcare to children who are in the country illegally, underscoring the state's immigrant-friendly tilt. The measure implements the $40 million allocated in this year's budget to provide state-subsidized Medi-Cal coverage to children aged 18 and younger who do not have legal status. (Mason, 10/9)
The Associated Press: California Governor Signs Crisis Pregnancy Centers Bill
Crisis pregnancy centers that discourage women from getting abortions in California will be required to provide information about abortions and other services under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown has approved. The measure imposes the first such statewide rule, after local communities around the country have tried similar efforts. (Williams, 10/9)
The Sacramento Bee: Health Clinics Run By Anti-Abortion Groups Sue Attorney General Over AB 775
Reproductive health clinics run by abortion opponents moved immediately to head off enforcement of a bill signed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown that would require the clinics to inform patients that abortion services are available elsewhere. On Saturday in Sacramento federal court, religiously affiliated clinics in Marysville and Redding that don’t offer abortions sued California Attorney General Kamala Harris, a sponsor of the new law, asking for an injunction preventing it from taking effect Jan. 1. (Walsh, 10/11)
The San Jose Mercury News: 'Right To Try' Bill: Brown Rejects Proposal To Let Terminal Patients Use Unapproved Drugs And Devices
Despite his landmark decision last week to grant terminally ill patients the right to end their lives with a doctor's help, Gov. Jerry Brown took a different course on Sunday and rejected Assembly Bill 159, the so-called "Right To Try'' bill. The latter measure sought to allow terminally ill patients who have exhausted all other options to access experimental drugs, products or devices that have not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Seipel, 10/11)
