U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján Introduces Bill To Improve Access to Quality, Affordable Maternity Care
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan:
Legislation is part of Sen. Luján’s effort to combat infant and maternal mortality across United States
Washington, D.C. – On the heels of his introduction of the Midwives for MOMS Act, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced legislation to increase access to quality, affordable maternity care through the creation of a federally funded Birth and Women’s Health Center demonstration program.
The BABIES Act requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a Medicaid demonstration program to improve freestanding birth center services for women with low-risk pregnancies.
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
Alabama
Montgomery: After COVID-19 disrupted two school years, lawmakers on Monday voted to delay an upcoming state requirement for third graders to pass a reading test before moving up to the fourth grade. The House of Representatives voted 68-27 for the bill by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, that would delay the promotion requirement, now set to take effect next year, by two years. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. The high-stakes promotion requirement is set to take effect at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, but supporters argued it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. The bill would move the implementation to the 2023-2024 school year. “These kids have had 14 months of not normal schooling. All they are asking for is a little compassion,” said Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile. “I have never ever had a bill where I’ve had
Tampa Bayâs mass vaccination sites wind down as rollout hits new phase
The focus shifts to reaching those who have been unable or unwilling to get COVID-19 shots. âWeâre not done yet.â
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Nurse Esther Martineau, left, administers a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot to Nelsida Fuenmayor, of Tampa, on Tuesday at the federally-run Tampa Greyhound Track site. The site is giving its last shot on May 25. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
Updated 4 hours ago
The waning demand for COVID-19 vaccines can clearly be seen at the federally supported site at the Tampa Greyhound Track.
Gone are the five lanes that used to be filled with cars of people awaiting shots during the busy morning rushes. Now people can simply drive up and park and walk right in, no matter the time of day.
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The number of South Dakota residents receiving an initial dose of a COVID-19 vaccination has slowed dramatically in recent weeks, prompting medical experts and community leaders to turn to personal conversations to battle misinformation around getting a shot.
Just over 4,000 people statewide received their first shot last week, according to the Department of Health a big drop-off from the end of March, when the state recorded a high mark of over 26,000 people receiving their first shot in a week.
At that point, vaccine sites were doing brisk business and the state seemed to defy a trend of skepticism around COVID-19 shots in states dominated by Republican politics. South Dakota had boasted one the highest vaccination percentage rates in the nation; just weeks later, its ranking has tumbled to 24th.