Food Aid Cuts Begin In Wisconsin

AP: Wisconsin Court Ruling Means Food Aid Cuts Will Begin In May
One day will likely cost some Wisconsin residents one month’s worth of food aid. Last week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling striking down Gov. Tony Evers’ COVID-19 emergency order means that next month the state will begin losing more than $50 million per month in emergency supplemental FoodShare benefits, the state Department of Health Services confirmed Wednesday. (4/7)

In mental health news from Iowa and Georgia —

Des Moines Register: Iowa Senate Passes Tax Bill With Mental Health Funding Changes
The Iowa Senate has passed a sweeping tax proposal that would revise Iowa's mental health funding system, phase out property tax replacement payments to local governments and ensure Iowans see a series of income tax cuts begin in 2023. The bill, Senate File 587, also includes a handful of changes affecting school funding and various state tax credit programs. It passed Tuesday evening on a 30-17 party-line vote. (Richardson, 4/7)

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Atlanta Public Schools Wins $1.95 Million Mental Health Services Grant
Students at six Atlanta schools will have more access to mental health services because of a $1.95 million grant recently awarded to the district. Atlanta Public Schools secured the five-year grant from School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network. The district will use the money to make licensed mental health providers available at six campuses starting next school year. (McCray, 4/8)

In abortion news from Idaho and Florida —

AP: Lawmaker Panel Advances Two Anti-Abortion Bills To Senate
A panel of Idaho lawmakers advanced two bills targeting abortion Wednesday. The first bill attempts to dissuade women from having abortions if the fetus is diagnosed with Down syndrome. The other bill would eliminate government funding from health care providers, schools or other entities if they provide abortions, refer someone to an abortion provider or even contract with someone affiliated with an abortion provider for non-abortion services. (Boone, 4/7)

Health News Florida: Florida House Committee Backs Ban On 'Disability Abortions' 
Physicians who terminate pregnancies solely because women don’t want children with disabilities could face felony charges under a bill moving through the Florida House. Members of the House Health & Human Services Committee voted 12-8 on Tuesday to advance the controversial bill (HB 1221), which would apply to physicians who know or should know abortions they perform were requested solely because of prenatal diagnoses, tests or screenings that indicated fetuses would have disabilities. (Sexton, 4/7)

In other state news —

Houston Chronicle: Texas House Pushes Bipartisan Bills Expanding Telemedicine And Postpartum Care
Leaders in the Texas House on Wednesday unveiled a suite of health care initiatives aimed at boosting access for new moms, children, Texans in rural areas and those who depend on costly prescription drugs. The bills, many of which have bipartisan backing, are among what was suggested to be the first wave of measures the lower chamber hopes to pass this session amid the coronavirus pandemic. Texas has long had some of the worst health outcomes in the country, as well as the highest uninsured rate. (Blackman, 4/7)

AP: Medic Who Shot 2 Was Assigned To Medical Research Center
A Navy medic who shot and wounded two U.S. sailors before he was killed by police on a nearby Army base was a laboratory technician assigned to a Naval medical research center on the base, according to his service record and a military official. Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet, 38, and the two men he shot Tuesday at a government-leased military warehouse were all assigned to Fort Detrick in Frederick, authorities have said. (Burns and Kunzelman, 4/7)

CBS News: South Carolina Shooting Leaves Five Dead Including Prominent Doctor And Two Kids 
A suspect was found after an hours-long search following a South Carolina shooting Wednesday evening that left five people dead, including two children and a prominent doctor, authorities said. ... The York County coroner's office said Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5. A fifth victim, James Lewis, 38, from Gaston, was found dead outside. ... Dr. Robert Lesslie has been practicing in Rock Hill since 1981, according to the Riverview website. He received his degree at the Medical University of South Carolina and has worked in the surrounding Rock Hill area and Charlotte, North Carolina. (4/8)

KHN: ‘Go Ahead And Vote Me Out’: What Other Places Can Learn From Santa Rosa’s Tent City 
They knew the neighborhood would revolt. It was early May, and officials in this Northern California city known for its farm-to-table dining culture and pumped-up housing prices were frantically debating how to keep covid-19 from infiltrating the homeless camps proliferating in the region’s celebrated parks and trails. For years, the number of people living homeless in Santa Rosa and the verdant hills and valleys of broader Sonoma County had crept downward — and then surged, exacerbated by three punishing wildfire seasons that destroyed thousands of homes in four years. (Hart, 4/8)