School Reopening Plans In Chicago And California Stuck In Limbo

AP: Chicago Schools Reopening Uncertain As Union Talks Stall
A plan to reopen Chicago schools remained in limbo as last-minute negotiations over COVID-19 safety measures with the teachers’ union stalled Sunday, amplifying the possibility of a strike or lockout. Roughly 62,000 students and about 10,000 teachers and staff in K-8 were expected to start school Monday for the first time since last March, part of the district’s gradual reopening plans during the pandemic. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Sunday she still expected all teachers, including those in pre-K and special education who started in-person earlier in January, to show up Monday. But she pushed back students’ arrival until Tuesday over staffing concerns, saying remote learning would be extended a day. (Tareen, 2/1)

AP: California Governor And Unions Clash Over School Openings
An effort to reopen California schools is foundering, stoking frustrations across America’s most populous state from parents eager to get their children back in classrooms and a governor who wants them there. Parents and behavioral experts say many schoolchildren are feeling helpless or depressed and need a classroom setting to improve their mental health. An exasperated Gov. Gavin Newsom told school officials last week to “pack it up” if they fail to resume in-person classes soon. Teacher unions say they won’t send their members into an unsafe environment. They want all teachers vaccinated before returning to the classroom. (Gecker, 2/1)

In news from Florida, Massachusetts and Utah —

KHN: Tampa’s Mayor Vs. A Covid-Era Super Bowl
With its lively music scene and Ybor City historical district full of bars and restaurants, Tampa has a nightlife hard to beat anywhere in Florida. The city will have a big reason to party on Sunday — as the site of Super Bowl LV and the first city to host its own football team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the championship game. The expected arrival of thousands of exuberant fans and the usual celebrations that mark the Super Bowl would seem to be a logistical headache for Mayor Jane Castor, who sought unsuccessfully last year to close bars in the city to stop the spread of covid-19 and has clashed with the state’s Republican governor about the wisdom of rapidly opening up. (Galewitz, 2/1)

The Hill: Gyms, Movie Theaters, Museums Can Reopen In Boston Monday 
Gyms, movie theaters, museums and a slate of other businesses are set to open in Boston on Monday as the city moves into the next phase of its coronavirus reopening plan. The businesses will open at a 25 percent capacity limit, according to the city’s reopening plan. (Pitofsky, 1/31)

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Lawmakers Want To Remove Requirement For Students To Get A Doctor’s Note When They’re Sick
Utah students would no longer need to get a doctor’s note to have an absence excused at school when they’re out sick under a new bill passed in committee this week. Instead, the measure — HB116 — would only require a parent to call in to their kid’s school to validate the missed day was for an illness. And that could include mental health, with a second bill running alongside it. Rep. Adam Robertson, R-Provo, said his proposal is largely meant to help families avoid unnecessary medical expenses. If a kid has a stomachache or a migraine, there’s likely no reason to take them to the doctor and they just need a day to rest, Robertson said. But if a school requires a note for the absence, a family might have to decide if it’s worth spending $100 to go in to their physician. And some, he added, can’t afford that. (Tanner, 1/30)

In news about marijuana and drug decriminalization —

USA Today: Oregon Decriminalizes All Drugs, Offers Treatment Instead Of Jail Time
The law goes into effect Monday and will be implemented over the next decade by the state officials at the Oregon Health Authority. Advocates say the pivot will be life-changing for thousands of Oregonians. “One of the things people misunderstand is how criminalization creates barriers to treatment,” says Kassandra Frederique, the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to legalizing illicit drug use. “If we want people to make different choices, we have to give them more options ... ending criminalization will do leaps and bounds around ending shame, which automatically opens people up for other opportunities.” (Schnell, 2/1)

AP: WVa Medical Cannabis Patient Registration To Start This Week
Nearly four years after West Virginia lawmakers allowed a regulatory system to be established for medical cannabis products, eligible residents can start registering to eventually receive them. Residents with serious medical conditions can start registering Wednesday at www.medcanwv.org. Patient cards that will be issued will be valid only in West Virginia. (2/1)

Crain's New York Business: Potent Marijuana Faces Stiff Taxes Under N.Y. Proposal
The stronger the pot, the greater the tax. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s latest swing at legalizing recreational marijuana in the state includes a new twist on taxation. Marijuana would be taxed based in part on its potency, measured by the level of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. The tax structure would be unique to New York, which trails 15 other states in legalizing recreational pot.In his budget address late last month, Cuomo estimated marijuana could eventually generate about $300 million in annual tax revenue. (1/30)