Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Aims To Ban Any Students From Talking About Gender Identity
Reuters: Florida Moves To Expand Teaching Ban On Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity
Florida is looking to expand its ban on teaching young children about sexual orientation and gender identity issues to include all students in its public schools under a new rule set for a vote by the state Board of Education next month. The proposed rule is the latest move by the administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to seek his party's 2024 nomination for president, to limit or prohibit instruction on topics conservatives consider inappropriate for the state's classrooms. (Bernstein, 3/22)
NPR: Florida Lawmaker Behind 'Don't Say Gay' Law Pleads Guilty To COVID Fraud
A former Florida lawmaker who sponsored a bill dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law by critics has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. Joseph Harding entered a guilty plea on Tuesday in federal court in the Northern District of Florida to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of making false statements, according to court records. Harding faces up to 35 years in prison, including a maximum of 20 years on the wire fraud charge. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 25 at the federal courthouse in Gainesville. (Hernandez, 3/22)
In other news from Florida —
NPR: New Tropical Mosquito Is Buzzing Across Florida
Eleven of the 17 non-native mosquitoes in Florida were discovered in the past two decades, with six of those detected in the last five years. The deadliest mosquitoes found in the U.S., Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus are all non-native species introduced from the tropics. (Allen, 3/22)
Updates from California —
NPR: California Could Ban Red Dye No. 3 And Other Ingredients Used In Processed Foods
A California assembly member has introduced legislation that would ban processed food items that contain potentially harmful ingredients that are used in several brands of fruit cups, chewy candies and cookies and cakes. Under Assembly Bill 418, Red Dye No. 3, as well as titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propylparaben would be outlawed in the manufacturing, distribution or sale of foods in the state. (Archie, 3/23)
Los Angeles Times: California Bill Would Require High Schools To Hand Out Free Condoms
A high school student went to a pharmacy to purchase condoms but was turned away because of his age. A student wanting to buy condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases was shamed at the store. Another student couldn’t afford the contraceptives and became pregnant. Teenagers shared these stories with Ria Barbaria and Fiona Lu, California high school students who are co-policy directors for GENup, a youth-led social justice organization. (Arredondo, 3/22)
Other health news from across the U.S. —
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Pelvic Exams On Unconscious Patients Could Be Banned In Missouri
The Missouri House Wednesday endorsed legislation prohibiting health care providers from performing certain exams on patients who are under anesthesia. On a 157-0 vote, the House forwarded the measure to the Senate, where a similar proposal has won approval at the committee level. Under current law, there is no prohibition on Missouri doctors or medical school students from legally performing pelvic, prostate and anal exams on patients when the patients are unconscious. (Erickson, 3/22)
The Washington Post: N.J. Hospitals Accused Of Drug Testing Pregnant Women Without Consent
Kate L. developed cravings for everything bagels last year while pregnant with her first child. On Sept. 20, she picked one up and ate it on the way to a check up with her OBGYN. She didn’t know it would lead to “one of the most traumatic experiences of her life,” according to a recently filed complaint with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. Kate L. is one of two New Jersey women who filed complaints earlier this month against the hospitals where they gave birth last year. Both allege that medical professionals drug tested them without their knowledge and that when those tests came back positive for opiates — the result of having eaten bagels topped with poppy seeds — a chain of events was set in motion that tarnished what was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of their lives. (Edwards, 3/22)
New Hampshire Public Radio: NH Supreme Court Rules On Medical Monitoring For People Exposed To Toxins
The New Hampshire Supreme Court has ruled that people who have been exposed to toxic substances cannot try to recover the costs of medical testing from polluters if they’re not currently sick. (Hoplamazian, 3/22)
