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State lawsuits likely over health care bill

By Stateline.org Staff

TODAY’S TAKE: If and when President Obama signs legislation revamping the nation’s health care system, several Republican-led states appear likely to fight a key provision of the new law in court. Idaho Governor C.L. Butch Otter on Wednesday (March 17) became the first governor to sign a bill setting up a legal showdown, while Virginia’s attorney general vowed to do the same.
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AK: Collared wolves killed during predator control



The Alaska Department of Fish and Game resumed killing wolves from helicopters this week in the Interior and immediately sparked controversy by wiping out a pack that included wolves collared for research by the National Park Service.
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AL: New initiative focuses on getting Alabamians in shape while promoting local tourism


There are over 300 miles of walking trails across the state of Alabama, and Governor Riley wants Alabamians to get out and enjoy them.   Read More
AR: U.S. to inspect 2 state-run units


The U.S. Department of Justice will inspect two residential facilities for the developmentally disabled next week, marking the first major step in the agency's investigation of state-run human-development centers in Arkansas.   Read More
AZ: Ariz. GOP lawmakers join Brewer in slamming health bill


Gov. Jan Brewer says the federal health overhaul bill awaiting congressional action would financially devastate Arizona's state government and intrude on individuals' health-coverage choices.   Read More
AZ: Arizona drops children's health program


Arizona on Thursday became the first state to eliminate its Children's Health Insurance Program when Gov. Jan Brewer signed an austere budget that will leave nearly 47,000 low-income children without coverage.   Read More
CA: San Joaquin Dems feel the heat of health care debate


WASHINGTON – Public and private pressure is building on Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Atwater, and other lawmakers who say they are undecided on a big health care bill. That's the price of wait-and-see.   Read More
CA: Schwarzenegger appoints paralyzed lawyer Sara Granda to legal post


Sara Granda, the UC Davis law school graduate who is paralyzed and drew national attention last year when State Bar officials nearly prevented her from taking the exam, has been named by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a legal position in the state Department of Health Care Services.   Read More
CA: Group seeks documents from Anthem Blue Cross inquiry


consumer group Thursday called on California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner to release all documents related to his investigation of proposed double-digit rate increases by Anthem Blue Cross for customers who buy individual policies.   Read More
CA: Proposed smoking ban falls short in Assembly


Californians who grumble about cigarette butts in the parks and beaches may have to wait before their wish comes true — if it happens at all. The most far-reaching ban to outlaw smoking in California's state parks, including more than a dozen beaches and wilderness areas in Santa Cruz County, has fallen short of a key legislative hurdle.   Read More
CO: Penry urges oversight into why child-welfare death investigations not completed


The state Department of Human Services failed to complete reviews of the deaths of 10 of 11 kids under age 4 who died while in the custody of county child-welfare programs in 2008.   Read More
CO: Poll -- Markey right, Gardner wrong on health reform


In the wake of a Congressional Budget Office report finding that current health reform legislation would cut the deficit by $138 billion in ten years, Colorado Fourth District U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey confirmed that she planned to vote to pass the legislation this weekend.   Read More
FL: Nelson's Medicare Advantage deal cut from health care reform


WASHINGTON — House and Senate leaders on Thursday said a provision sparing about 800,000 Floridians from cuts in Medicare Advantage will not be part of the final health care bill, a blow to Sen. Bill Nelson.   Read More
FL: Lawmakers push to curb medicating foster children


A year after a seven-year-old boy heavily medicated on powerful psychiatric drugs hanged himself in his Margate foster home, lawmakers are pushing to reform state medical requirements for foster children.   Read More
FL: Our eye's on you, Jackson is warned


Jackson's governing body survived four proposals to abolish it Thursday as Miami-Dade County commissioners instead voted unanimously to put the beleaguered public health system on a ``management watch'' in which the mayor will follow it closely but not take control.   Read More
GA: Dear John and Sanford -- Please vote no. Sincerely, Sonny


Gov. Sonny Perdue has joined the effort to pressure U.S. Reps. John Barrow of Savannah and Sanford Bishop of Albany, the last two members of Georgia's Democratic delegation who haven't announced how they'll vote on the health care overhaul.   Read More
GA: Georgia Senate defiant on U.S. health care reform


Georgia senators passed a bill Thursday aimed at changing the state Constitution so residents have the right to opt out of possible federal health care coverage.   Read More
HI: Death renews talk of total ban


Over the past 14 years in Hawai'i, 34 people have been killed while riding in the beds of pickup trucks.   Read More
IA: Vander Plaats supports Iowa's right to opt out of health-care system


Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats said Thursday he would preserve Iowans' rights to opt out of a federal government-run health-care system if he is elected as Iowa's next governor.   Read More
IA: Manager admits bedbug blunder


The head of the company that manages two bedbug-infested Des Moines apartment buildings for the elderly and disabled acknowledged Thursday that "we screwed up, and we're going to fix it."   Read More
ID: Prosecutors oppose Idaho legislation aimed at lowering age of sexual consent


A bill aimed at lowering the age of sexual consent in Idaho from 18 to 16 would lead to "teen pregnancy, STDs and danger for Idaho girls" according to the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association.   Read More
ID: Proposed law takes aim at youth concussions


A history of concussions and the concern of his father could not keep Kort Breckenridge from suiting up for Teton High against Sugar-Salem on Oct. 7, 2005.   Read More
ID: Rep. Steve Kren -- No abortion for race- or sex-selection


A Canyon County legislator says the same type of discrimination laws that apply across state and federal statutes should pertain to the unborn.   Read More
ID: Gov. Otter gets some good marks on health care plans for Idaho


With President Obama and Congress concentrating on health care reform, Gov. Butch Otter says Idaho is getting the ball rolling right here, right now.   Read More
ID: Idaho Senate backs dumping limit on DNA testing


Inmates who want to file a petition for DNA or fingerprint analysis would no longer be subject to a one-year limitation to request such a test, under a measure that cleared the Senate on Thursday.   Read More
IL: Illinois high court -- Nonprofit hospital can be taxed


An Illinois Catholic medical center isn't a charitable enterprise and must pay property taxes, the state's highest court ruled Thursday in a case that has been closely watched by hospitals nationwide.   Read More
IL: Dueling rallies offer opposing views on health care bill


CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Supporters and opponents of health care legislation held dueling rallies on the sidewalk along Fox Drive outside Rep. Tim Johnson's office Thursday evening in anticipation of an upcoming vote by the House of Representatives.   Read More
IL: MRSA survivors want it declared a health epidemic


Survivors of deadly staph infections are urging federal health officials to declare MRSA a health epidemic.   Read More
IL: Illinois gets $15 million for water projects


Illinois will get more than $15 million in stimulus grants and loans for water system improvement projects.   Read More
IL: Dental management contract focus of questions


Only weeks before aides to Gov. Pat Quinn said they would review and potentially re-bid all state contracts exceeding $1 million a year, Quinn's administration renewed a $255 million contract with the company that manages the state's dental program for Medicaid recipients.   Read More
IL: Burden higher for nonprofit hospitals, Illinois Supreme Court says


An Illinois Supreme Court decision Thursday puts nonprofit hospitals on notice that they must provide an adequate amount of charity care to patients or risk losing significant tax exemptions.   Read More
IN: Opinions differ in local rally on health care bill


SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The heated rhetoric on both sides of the health care reform debate moved from Washington to hometown Main Street, literally, at a lunch-hour rally Thursday outside the downtown offices of U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger.   Read More
KS: Proposed constitutional amendment to block federal health care reform fails


A proposed constitutional amendment to block federal health reform in Kansas failed to advance today.   Read More
KS: Abortion lawsuits proposed in Kansas


Anti-abortion legislators in Kansas are pushing a proposal to allow lawsuits against doctors over legally questionable late-term abortions.   Read More
MA: More cuts loom as state faces $295m in red ink


Massachusetts is potentially facing a new budget gap of up to $295 million this year, a grim forecast that state officials said could spell yet another round of painful cuts before the fiscal year ends in June.   Read More
ME: Medical pot deal reached


A legislative committee on Thursday reached unanimous, bipartisan accord on implementing Maine's citizen initiative that expanded the rights of medical marijuana users.   Read More
ME: GOP challenger pushes Michaud for debate on health care plan


Jason Levesque, the presumptive Republican nominee to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat, on Thursday challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud to hold a town hall-style meeting with voters on President Barack Obama's health care initiative.   Read More
MI: Detroit Medical Center expected to announce sale to Vanguard Health


The Detroit Medical Center is expected to announce today that it is being sold to Vanguard Health Systems of Tennessee.   Read More
MN: Supporters see health care bill aiding many Minnesotans


More than 120,000 uninsured Minnesotans would gain health coverage under the bill headed for a climactic vote in the U.S. House this weekend, according to congressional Democrats, while another 1 million Minnesota consumers would get tax credits and other subsidies to help defray the cost of health insurance.   Read More
MO: State checking sewage spill in western Mo. creek


A state agency says an estimated 107,000 gallons of untreated wastewater leaked into a western Missouri creek earlier this week.   Read More
MO: Missouri Senate approves bill for mandated autism insurance coverage


Health insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders would be required under legislation passed Thursday in the Missouri Senate.   Read More
NC: Grant to aid work of stem cell groundbreaker


An internationally known pioneer in using umbilical cord stem cells will research novel cerebral palsy treatments thanks to a $10.2 million gift to Duke University.   Read More
ND: Health care package adds, removes Bank of N.D. item


WASHINGTON -- Bye bye, Cornhusker Kickback. Hello, special treatment for Tennessee and possibly North Dakota.   Read More
NE: Ashford sees abortion epidemic


Six low-income women have told a south Omaha health clinic that they will opt for abortions because they cannot afford prenatal services, which are no longer government-funded. The report from the OneWorld Community Health Centers, coupled with the earlier confirmation of an abortion by a Schuyler, Neb., woman, prompted at least three state senators to say Thursday that the issue has reached a "crisis" level.   Read More
NJ: Warren Wilentz, attorney and political leader, dies at 85


MIDDLESEX COUNTY, N.J. -- One of the titans in the political and legal communities in New Jersey has died.   Read More
NJ: Assembly panel approves bills that will change public pensions, health care benefits


To hoots and hisses from public employee union leaders who packed a committee room, an Assembly panel approved five bills yesterday that would make broad changes to public workers pension and health care benefits. Three of the five bills have already passed the Senate.   Read More
NY: NY's health coverage plunges


The number of New York state residents receiving health insurance through private-sector employers has plummeted by 500,000, a new study has found.   Read More
NY: Bid to thwart Medicaid fraud


State Senate Republicans yesterday proposed restoring extensive background checks to deter fraud in New York's $52 billion Medicaid program.   Read More
OH: Parkinson's patient gains national attention from health-care rally confrontation


A demonstrator at a Columbus health-care rally who was chided for looking for a handout "on the wrong end of town" actually is a former nuclear engineer with a doctorate from Cornell University.   Read More
OR: State hospital chief promises better communication


Oregon State Hospital Superintendent Roy Orr apologized Thursday to the hospital's advisory board, saying he was "personally remiss" in failing to notify board members about a scathing federal critique of patient care before it hit the press.   Read More
PA: Health insurance program for Pennsylvania children lauded


Ten years ago, affordable health care for Mary Jo Sprague's two children seemed out of reach.   Read More
RI: Insurers see planned rate hikes slashed


The state health insurance commissioner has slashed proposed premiums, keeping rate increases in the single digits –– in some cases just barely –– for people covered through their employers.   Read More
TN: TennCare postpones some cuts for a year


TennCare officials said Thursday they will be able to use a federal refund of $121 million to postpone some cuts to the state's expanded Medicaid program for a year.   Read More
TN: Health bill gives TN hospitals $99M


WASHINGTON -- Bye bye, Cornhusker Kickback. Hello, special treatment for Tennessee and North Dakota. Democrats unveiling revisions Thursday to their health-care overhaul bill decided to kill the extra $100 million in Medicaid funds for Nebraska that has become a symbol of backdoor deal making. But the 153 pages of changes to the package include an additional $99 million in 2012 and 2013 for Tennessee hospitals that treat many poor people.   Read More
TX: Perry plans to call voters about national healthcare bill


Interest groups on both sides of the debate are directing people to let their congressmen and congresswomen know how they feel about the health care bill. And now, the campaign of Gov. Rick Perry is getting in on the action.   Read More
US: Poorer girls not getting HPV vaccine for cervical cancer


A cervical cancer vaccine is not getting to many of the girls who need it the most, a new study shows.   Read More
US: GOP plots strategies to nullify health bill


WASHINGTON—Republicans are looking beyond Sunday's expected vote on the Democrats' health-care overhaul to focus on strategies for striking back should it pass, ranging from challenges to the measure by individual states to a national repeal campaign.   Read More
UT: Former Utah Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack DUI hearing rescheduled


A Thursday pretrial conference hearing for former Utah Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, who is facing a DUI charge, has been rescheduled for April 12.   Read More
VA: Cuccinelli renews threat to challenge health-care reform


Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli took to the national airwaves yesterday to discuss his letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and threatened legal action if the House employs the "deem and pass" method of voting on President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul.   Read More
VT: Vermont lawmakers hear about single-payer health care


An economist who helped Taiwan and other nations create their health care systems told Vermont lawmakers Thursday that a single-payer plan can lower costs, but is not necessarily a foolproof remedy.   Read More
WV: Finished budget includes money for Medicaid waiver programs


House and Senate conferees completed work on the 2010-11 state budget bill Thursday afternoon. House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, said the budget includes an additional $15 million for Medicaid waiver programs to provide in-home care to senior citizens and for persons with developmental disabilities.   Read More
WV: Ad blitz seeks to push Mollohan to vote for health-care bill


Several groups are running television advertisements this week urging U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan to vote in favor of the comprehensive health-care legislation before Congress.   Read More
WY: Report -- Health insurance crisis hits middle class hardest


America's middle class is bearing the brunt of the health insurance crisis, according to a new study.   Read More
WY: Wyoming may modify 'fracking' rules


In order to protect fresh and potable water, state regulators may require the oil and gas industry to provide more detailed and readily available information about hydraulic fracturing activities.   Read More
Non-profit Ill. hospital must pay property tax
By Stateline.org Staff

TODAY'S TAKE: In a closely watched case, Illinois’ highest court Thursday determined that a not-for-profit hospital had to pay property taxes, because it didn’t offer enough charity care to qualify for a tax exemption.   Read More
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