Florida Governor Wants Cruise Ships Sailing

The Washington Post: Florida Gov. DeSantis Sues CDC, Biden Administration To Get Cruises Sailing 
Making good on an earlier threat, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Thursday that the state has filed a lawsuit against the federal government demanding that cruises be allowed to resume from the United States immediately. “We don’t believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data,” DeSantis said in a news conference at Miami’s seaport. “I think we have a good chance for success.” (Sampson, 4/8)

Health News Florida: Florida Still Tops Nation In ACA Enrollment 
Florida continues to lead the nation in the number of people taking advantage of a special enrollment period for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, with 146,250 people obtaining health insurance between Feb. 15 and March 31. Nationwide, more than 500,000 people obtained Obamacare coverage during that period, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (4/8)

Health News Florida: Dueling House, Senate Health Care Budgets Include 'Some Ifs' 
Florida lawmakers might be getting a $10 billion influx of money from Washington and an infusion of additional state tax dollars, but the Republican-controlled House and Senate passed dueling budgets this week that would slash funding for hospitals and other health care providers and do little to help people with disabilities get off a waiting list for services. The House on Thursday passed a $97 billion budget proposal for the coming fiscal year that includes $42.1 billion for health and human services. The Senate passed a smaller overall budget at $95 billion, but it would direct $42.3 billion to health and human services. (4/8)

In updates from Texas —

Houston Chronicle: Gov. Abbott Demands US Government Shut Down Migrant Youth Facility Amid Abuse Allegations
Gov. Greg Abbott called on the federal government to shut down the temporary facility housing migrant children at the Freeman Coliseum on Wednesday, saying two state agencies have received several complaints alleging child abuse and neglect. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services each received separate tips Wednesday morning, Abbott said at a quickly called news conference in front of the coliseum. (Hardaway, 4/8)

Dallas Morning News: Texas Senate OKs Sweeping Protections Against COVID-19 Lawsuits For Businesses, Health Care Providers
With strong bipartisan support, a sweeping bill that would bar lawsuits over COVID-19 deaths and injuries — if Texas businesses, health care providers and institutions made good faith efforts to follow governments’ pandemic protocols — flew out of the Senate on Thursday. The proposed liability shield would be retroactive to the start of the coronavirus crisis and lifted once it ends, meaning the protections could last for months or even years. It “allows Texas to continue reopening safely and will bolster the global economy-leading [state] economy by giving businesses the assurance that they will not be forced to spend their hard-earned resources fighting frivolous lawsuits,” said bill author Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills. (Garrett and Morris, 4/8)

In news from Maryland, Indiana and Louisiana —

The Washington Post: Maryland Lawmakers Want Counseling For Children Without Parental Consent 
In voting to make Maryland one of five states that allows preteens to get mental health treatment without parental consent, Del. Kumar P. Barve said he was honoring an uncle he never met. His mother’s twin brother died by suicide in the 1940s, Barve told colleagues in the General Assembly on Thursday. (Wiggins, 4/8)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Budget: Cigarette Tax Nixed, Mental Health Funding Increased
Senate Republicans dedicated more money for mental health resources and students living in poverty in their version of the 2-year $35.8 billion budget Thursday, a proposal that Senate Democrats praised as at least a step forward. Still, Democrats had concerns about the lack of a cigarette tax increase, absence of action to address teacher pay and what they see as an inequitable school-funding formula. They unsuccessfully tried to amend the budget and likely will try again before it passes the full Senate. (Lange and Herron, 4/8)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Why Is Louisiana Unhealthy? New State Database Aims To Connect Environment, Behavior To Health
After a year in which the coronavirus laid bare health disparities among people of different backgrounds, the Louisiana Department of Health released a new dashboard that aims to shed light on the state’s dismal health care outcomes. For years, Louisiana has sat at or near the bottom of nearly every measurable health metric, ranking well below the national average when it comes to behavioral health, low birth weight, high cholesterol and early death. What is less understood is why residents in the state have such poor health. (Woodruff, 4/8)