Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Missouri Attorney General Confirms Anti-Trans Rule Applies To Adults, Too
AP: Missouri To Limit Gender-Affirming Care For Minors, Adults
Missouri’s attorney general announced new restrictions Thursday on gender-affirming care for adults in addition to minors in a move that is believed to be a first nationally and has advocacy groups threatening to sue. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced plans to restrict health care for transgender people weeks ago, when protesters rallied at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass a law banning puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries for children. But the discussion was focused on minors, not adults. Missouri Attorney General spokeswoman Madeline Sieren clarified in a statement later in the day that adults also would be covered. (Ballentine and Hollingsworth, 4/14)
AP: Nebraska Trans Care Ban For Minors Advances -- With A Twist
Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who has been among the most vocal in opposing the bill, sobbed on the mic. “I am sorry,” she cried, addressing parents of transgender children. “I’m sorry there’s nothing more I can do in my power. You are loved. Your children are loved. You matter.” The bill has proved to be the session’s most contentious, with Cavanaugh leading an effort to filibuster every bill before the Nebraska Legislature for weeks to protest it. That effort has largely hamstrung the body’s work. While lawmakers have managed to advance a number of bills, it had not passed a single bill by Thursday. (Beck, 4/13)
Them: A Nebraska Senator Has Spent Seven Straight Weeks Filibustering An Anti-Trans Bill
Nebraska state senator Machaela Cavanaugh just hit her seventh week filibustering against an anti-trans bill. ... Nebraska’s rules regarding filibusters are also unique, allowing for sitting and bathroom breaks and letting lawmakers discuss basically anything. This means that Cavanaugh is on the floor for up to 12 hours a day, which she described in a recent interview with NPR as “mentally and emotionally tiring." (Factora, 4/12)
On the gun violence epidemic —
The Hill: Whitmer Signs Gun Safety Bills In Wake Of School Shootings
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a number of bills on Thursday aimed to implement gun safety measures in the state amid the recent rise of school shootings across the United States. ... Senate Bill 79 will protect children by requiring an individual to keep firearms stored in locked boxes or containers. It also establishes a range of penalties if violated. Senate Bill 80 also updates the state’s criminal code for safe storage of firearms to prevent child from gaining access to the weapons. Senate Bills 81 and 82 will lower the costs of firearm safety devices to ensure owners can safely store their guns. (Oshin, 4/13)
Iowa Public Radio: Iowa House Extends Gun Carry Rights To School, College Parking Lots
As part of a bill passed Wednesday in the Iowa House, a gun owner with a permit to carry would be allowed to keep their weapon in their car at a public university or community college, or while visiting a public school. Legal gun owners could keep a pistol or revolver in their car while dropping off or picking up a student from a K-12 school, for instance. (Gerlock, 4/13)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
The Texas Tribune: Texas Senate Passes Child Mental Health Funding Bill
The Texas Senate passed a bill Thursday that would create a $15 million “Innovation Grant” program designed to expand access to mental health services for children and families statewide. (Simpson, 4/13)
Colorado Sun: Colorado’s Maternal Death Rate Is Rising. A New Report Says The Answer Is Equitable Prenatal Care And Mental Health Screenings.
About a quarter of Colorado pregnant women on Medicaid insurance do not go to a doctor’s appointment during the first trimester, a statistic that likely contributes to the state’s rising maternal death rate. That’s according to the latest “maternal health equity report” from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which matched health records with 2020 birth certificates across the state. The Medicaid program, called Health First Colorado, covers 40% of all births in the state, or nearly 26,000 births in 2020. (Brown, 4/13)
CNN: The Fire At An Indiana Plastics Recycling Plant Has Been Extinguished, Though Residents’ Health Concerns Remain
After firefighters spent two days battling an inferno fueled by plastics in eastern Indiana, the fire has been fully extinguished, officials said. “We’re now able to turn our attention to collecting air and water samples to determine when the evacuation order can be lifted,” Richmond Mayor Dave Smith told CNN Thursday night. (Yan, Wolfe, Murphy and Alvarado, 4/13)
