Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Montana Health Department Blocks All Gender Changes To Birth Certificates
AP: Montana Bars Birth Certificate Changes, Even With Surgery
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration says transgender people can not change their birth certificates even if they undergo gender-confirmation surgery, in defiance of a court order that temporarily blocked the Republican state’s bid to restrict transgender rights. The state health department said in an emergency rule that it would no longer record the category of “gender” on people’s birth certificates, replacing that category with a listing for “sex” — either male or female — that can be changed only in rare circumstances. (Brown, 5/24)
Indianapolis Star: Minutes After Lawmakers Override Veto Of Transgender Sports Ban, First Lawsuit Is Filed
Just minutes after the Indiana General Assembly overrode Gov. Eric Holcomb’s veto of the state’s ban on transgender girls playing girls school sports, the first lawsuit against the measure was filed. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is suing the Indianapolis Public Schools district on behalf of a 10-year-old transgender girl who will no longer be able to play softball on her school’s all-girls’ softball team. The child and her family were identified only by initials in the lawsuit. (Herron, 5/24)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
AP: Delaware Gov. John Carney Vetoes Marijuana Legalization Bill
Delaware Gov. John Carney on Tuesday vetoed a bill to legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults for recreational use, drawing the wrath of fellow Democrats who have fought for years to make weed legal. In vetoing the measure, Carney reiterated his previously expressed concerns about legalizing recreational pot — concerns that did not dissuade fellow Democrats from pushing the legislation through the General Assembly. (Chase, 5/24)
Des Moines Register: Iowa Bill Eliminates Tampon Tax, Makes COVID Bonuses, Diapers Tax-Free
Iowans won't have to pay state taxes on the bonuses that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds awarded to teachers, correctional officers, police officers and child care workers under a bill headed to her desk. The same bill also eliminates sales tax on feminine hygiene products and the tax on child and adult diapers. The wide-ranging tax legislation won unanimous support in both the House and Senate on Monday. Lawmakers passed the bill Monday evening amid a flurry of other legislation as they drew closer to the end of the session. (Richardson, 5/24)
AP: Feds Investigating Treatment Of Mentally Ill In Louisville
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into how Kentucky cares for mentally ill adults in the Louisville area. The probe will look into potential violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Investigators are looking at whether the state subjects adults with serious mental illness “to unnecessary institutionalization and serious risk of institutionalization in psychiatric hospitals,” according to a media release from the Justice Department. (5/24)
NBC News: Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy Defends His Statements On The State's Black Maternal Health
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is under fire for comments he made about the state of Black maternal health in an interview with Politico last week. Cassidy said that while Black people make up a third of the state’s population and experience higher rates of pregnancy-related deaths, “if you correct our population for race, we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear.” (Bellamy-Walker, 5/23)
Los Angeles Times: UC Pays Record $700 Million In UCLA Gynecologist Sex Abuse Case
The University of California system agreed Tuesday to settle lawsuits brought by hundreds of alleged victims of a former UCLA gynecologist, bringing total litigation payouts to nearly $700 million, the largest ever related to sexual abuse involving a public university. The latest $374.4 million in settlements covers 312 former patients who sued alleging they were abused by Dr. James Heaps under the guise of medical examinations between 1983 and 2018. (Winton, 5/24)
KHN: The Blackfeet Nation’s Plight Underscores The Fentanyl Crisis On Reservations
As the pandemic was setting in during summer 2020, Justin Lee Littledog called his mom to tell her he was moving from Texas back home to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana with his girlfriend, stepson, and son. They moved in with his mom, Marla Ollinger, on a 300-acre ranch on the rolling prairie outside Browning and had what Ollinger remembers as the best summer of her life. “That was the first time I’ve gotten to meet Arlin, my first grandson,” Ollinger said. Another grandson was soon born, and Littledog found maintenance work at the casino in Browning to support his growing family. (Bolton, 5/25)
In updates on homelessness —
The Boston Globe: Mayor Wu Announces ‘Warm Weather’ Plan To Address Humanitarian Crisis At Mass. And Cass
Mayor Michelle Wu announced an expanded effort Tuesday to address the humanitarian crisis in the area known as Mass. and Cass with an 11-point focus on housing, health care, and public safety programs, amid concerns that crime and vagrancy have persisted and will grow worse as summer approaches and more people tend to stay on the streets. Called the “Warm Weather Program,” the plan involves directing more health care workers and police officers to the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, guiding people to support services and housing options, and arresting those engaging in drug dealing, prostitution, and violent crime. Tent encampments will be taken down the moment they go up. City public works crews will increasingly clean streets and sidewalks, and paint new crosswalks. (Valencia and Fatima, 5/24)
Los Angeles Times: Report Shows L.A. Homeless Services Workers Throwing Out Food
A day after a news report captured Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority workers throwing away food meant for unhoused people, L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer sent a letter to the agency demanding answers. The report, aired by KCBS-TV Channel 2 on Monday, showed LAHSA workers throwing cases of food into a dumpster. The news station said it had followed homeless services workers for months and used hidden cameras. Many were seen at the end of their work days folding empty boxes after presumably handing out the meals, according to KCBS. (Yee, 5/24)
