Friday, December 2, 2022

Dr. Fauci Gives Final News Conference Before Leaving Federal Government 

On November 22, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave his final news conference before leaving the federal government.  As written in previous Policy Updates, Fauci announced his retirement from the federal government and will be leaving at the end of 2022.  Fauci has indicated that he is not fully retiring, but rather leaving the federal government.  You can read about his final news conference and view a video clip of his remarks by clicking here. 

 

Red States are Blocking Trans Health Care 

In some Republican-led states, transgender individuals and particularly minors who are seeking gender-affirming care, are having increased trouble with getting adequate medical assistance with their transitions. As a result, many of the families have moved, seeking locations that have fewer restrictions for gender-affirming medical care for minors. In an effort to provide their children with the proper medical resources and protect their mental health, families have made drastic life changes to accommodate in the face of such discrimination. To learn the stories of these families,
click here. 

 

Minnesota Town Considering Anti-Abortion Ordinance AG Calls Unconstitutional 

The town of Prinsburg, Minnesota is considering a local ordinance that would allow residents to file civil lawsuits against abortion providers for providing an abortion in the community, as well as the recipients of their services. Since the news was made public, the town has received a letter from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, informing them that “no city in Minnesota has the power to restrict the right to abortion or enact conflicting regulations on health care providers.” State Rep. Tim Miller, who brought the ordinance proposal to Prinsburg City Council, is confident that the community residents will support the legislation, but he intends to hold a town hall for public discussion before it passes. Prinsburg will not be responsible for defending the ordinance in court if it passes, as it is being supported by the Thomas Moore Society, who have passed similar local ordinances in various Texas cities such as Lubbock. While no abortion providers exist in Prinsburg (the closest providers are located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region), per Miller abortions can still be performed either by medication mailed to residents or via a mobile clinic. 

 

New York City to Begin Civilly Committing Individuals with Mental Illness  

In a controversial move, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) has announced a plan to forcibly remove people with mental illness who are experiencing homelessness from the city’s streets in an effort to curb crime and violent actions. Under Adams’s plan, individuals would be forcibly hospitalized by police and receive treatment that would allow them to eventually return to society. Many have criticized the policy, expressing concerns about the treatment of individuals. According to one source, an estimated 3,400 people are experiencing homelessness in New York City and living on the streets and subways of the five boroughs. Other experts have argued that the number is significantly larger. To learn more about the mayor’s plan, click here.  

 

Social Security Aid for Disabled PA Residents Crashed Over the Pandemic 

Pennsylvania saw the steepest drop of Social Security aid for disabled residents of any state, according to a new report by Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments fell 26% between 2019 and 2020, an issue exacerbated by a decade of underfunding of the Social Security Administration having to shutter several offices. A roundtable from last June found that other structural problems with the disability system included federal workers wrongly telling immigrants that their immigration status disqualified them from receiving payments, as well as a general lack of accessibility for non-English speakers. People returning from incarceration, who disproportionately suffer from mental illness, also had trouble accessing benefits; under federal law, persons who had previously received SSI benefits would be dropped from the program if they had been incarcerated for over a year. The report recommends creating a team specifically dealing with returning citizens, calls for people who had previously received SSI benefits before imprisonment to have them reinstated, and have the federal government generally improve access to its disability assistance program.  You can read a related article from Pennsylvania Capital-Star by clicking here.