Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ga. Senate Passes 2 Bills Restricting Gender Care For Minors, Prisoners
AP: Georgia Senate Advances Bills To Restrict Gender-Affirming Care With Some Democratic Support
Georgia’s Senate passed two bills Monday that would ban most gender-affirming care for minors and people incarcerated in state prisons, mirroring moves by Republicans across states and a handful of executive orders by President Donald Trump targeting transgender people. The chamber voted 34-19 for a bill that would ban puberty blockers and most gender-affirming care for people under 18, including those already undergoing treatment. (Kramon, 3/4)
The Hill: Transgender Athletes' Sports Ban Fails Senate Vote
Legislation to prevent transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports failed to advance in the Senate on Monday after all Democrats voted against it. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act failed to clear an initial procedural hurdle on a 51-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to advance, which would have required at least seven Democrats to vote with all Republicans to move it. The bill cleared the House in January on an almost entirely party-line vote. (Migdon, 3/3)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Health News Florida: Tampa General Opens A Primary Care Center Dedicated To Treating The Military
Tampa General Hospital has opened a primary care clinic dedicated to treating only military personnel and veterans. The Military & Veteran Primary Care Center, at 2106 S. Lois Ave., offers primary care, behavior health, labs and pharmacy services, the hospital said in a Friday news release issued. (Mayer, 3/3)
AP: Emergency Room Security Guard Shot And Wounded In Arizona; Man Arrested
A security guard at an Arizona hospital was shot and wounded over the weekend, and the man suspected in the attack was quickly disarmed and taken into custody, authorities say. The security guard was shot around 1 p.m. Sunday inside the emergency room at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, Scottsdale Police said in a news release. The shooting was the latest in a series of incidents of increasing violence against U.S. healthcare workers and highlighted the challenges of protecting them. (3/4)
The Colorado Sun: 270 Colorado Kids Ran Away From Foster Care And Treatment Centers In One Year. Now State Lawmakers Are Talking About A Fence.
Colorado is on track to make key changes to prevent children and teens from running away from residential treatment centers and foster care, and keeping track of them when they do. Part of the plan is to allow a state-owned residential treatment center for young people with behavioral health problems to put up a fence — something currently prohibited under Colorado law. Legislation would allow a new youth treatment center set to open in Denver next year to build a secure perimeter fence. (Brown, 3/3)
The New York Times: Grei Mendez Sentenced To 45 Years For Fatal Fentanyl Poisoning At Day Care
After fentanyl sickened three toddlers and killed a fourth at the Divino Niño day care, its proprietor, Grei Mendez, professed to be caught up in a bewildering catastrophe. She told investigators at a police precinct in 2023 that she had no idea how narcotics had gotten into the day care, which she ran out of a Bronx apartment, according to court documents. She denied that contraband there belonged to her or her husband, who had fled while a 22-month-old, Nicholas Feliz Dominici, lay dying. (Moynihan, 3/3)
CBS News: Maryland Disability Advocates Speak Out Against Proposed $200 Million Service Cut
With April and the state's budget deadline looming, Maryland disability advocates went door to door Monday night speaking with legislators about why a proposed cut would be devastating. Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget deficit, which Gov. Wes Moore says he inherited. Because of this fiscal crisis, Moore's budget includes both spending cuts and revenues generated through tax reform and investments in key industries. (Lynch, 3/3)
AP: A ‘Super-Aged’ Population Poses Major Challenges For Hawaii
Hawaiʻi faces a reckoning as its population of kūpuna age 75 and older surges, consuming more resources than they bring in. The challenge, outlined in a recent report, is on the state’s doorstep: how to meet the needs of a group described as the super-aged. (Hay, 3/3)
KFF Health News: Law And Order Or Bystander Safety? Police Chases Spotlight California’s Competing Priorities
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pressuring Oakland to expand its police department’s ability to chase suspects, referencing the public’s desire for a crackdown on crime. He said that voters had recently taken more tough-on-crime positions and “expressed in pretty clear terms they want change.” Weeks later, a police pursuit across the bay in San Francisco ended with the suspect’s vehicle crashing and sending six people, including a child, to the hospital. (Thompson, 3/4)
