Members of Nebraska s LGBTQ+ community and their supporters saw positive actions at both the state and federal level this month. At the state level, LB-575 failed to pass. The bill would have required Nebraska transgender youth to participate in the sports and use the facilities that correspond with their biological gender, as determined by their chromosomes. .
Advocates for end-of-life care options in Montana have asked the state Supreme Court to uphold an injunction of a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, to keep it from going into effect. Critics said the measure violates civil liberties and goes further. The group Compassion & Choices has asked the court to uphold the injunction. .
A Knoxville-based environmental group is advocating for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act expansion, currently awaiting House approval. It would provide compensation to more states such as Tennessee for radiation exposure from U.S. government nuclear activities such as weapons testing and uranium mining. .
Missouri residents are gaining new insights into the powerful role of food in health care as experts and organizations advocate for a shift toward food-as-medicine initiatives. Kelsey Gardiner, assistant professor of nursing and health studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, emphasized the critical link between access to healthy food and improved health outcomes. She noted individuals facing food insecurity often experience higher rates of chronic diseases, highlighting the urgent need for systemic changes to enhance food access. .
After the Biden administration released a new rule setting standards to limit exposure to silica dust, Appalachian advocates argued it is not enough to stem the region s black lung epidemic. The new rule shrinks in half the allowed exposure limit for crystalline silica during an eight-hour shift. Rebecca Shelton, director of policy for the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, who represents miners in federal black lung disability claims, said while the rule is beneficial since silica dust exposure standards have not been updated in decades, miners are cutting through increasing amounts of rock to get to coal seams, breathing in more and more toxic dust. .