Medical Marijuana Bill Seeks to Protect, Not Harm

Alyson Morales
2013 Medical Marijuana Legislation
Post 1

As of late, 17 states have legalized the medicinal use of marijuana. For others, it's the decision between pros and cons that keep them from being completely convinced this drug can be safe and effective. Those in favor of medical marijuana say that it's safe and very helpful for those suffering from life-threatening medical problems, such as AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, epilepsy, and intense pain as well as many other illnesses. Local organizations are hopping on the bandwagon as well. The Marijuana Policy Project and Texans for Medical Marijuana (TMM) are a couple. Those opposed to legalizing medical marijuana say it is addictive and leads to harder drug use, causes injury to the brain, and is just a cover-up so people can "do drugs legally" and recreationally.

According to a CBS/New York Times poll taken in 1979, 27 percent of Americans favored legalization of marijuana. Now, the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is rising in states such as Rhode Island.

How does this affect Texans? Austin Representative, Eliot Naishtat, has recently filed a bill that proposes to protect those who use marijuana for medicinal purposes. "A person arrested for marijuana possession could enter evidence that his or her doctor gave instructions that use of the drug could provide benefits for the person’s illness," his proposal states (Hoppe, 2013). The bill (House Bill 594) will also protect physicians who suggest or discuss the drug to patients--not prescribe. Legislatures, naturally, are worried legalizing bills such as Naishtat's would "open the door" to abusing the new law. Unlike Colorado and Washington, where it is now legal to use marijuana for recreational use, the House Public Health Committee turned away the medical bill proposal in 2011.

Texas State Representative, Harold Dutton, is also trying to pass a bill (HB 184) that requests that the penalties for being arrested with up to one ounce of pot be reduced. Currently, the law is that if a person is caught with up to one ounce, the penalty could be up to a $2,000 fine and/or 180 days in jail, an offense bigger than many other offenses. According to a Texas Tribune and University of Texas poll in 2011, 41 percent of respondents favored the legalizing and taxing of marijuana.

For those still in question about the pros, cons and background of the medical marijuana movement, a great site to check out can be found here where everything there is to know about what is currently going on right now in the news.

Sources:

Aguilar, Julian. The Texas Tribune.
CBS "Marijuana: Latest News"
Hoppe, Christy. Dallas Morning News.
ProCon.org

Bill Proposes New Laws to Punish Human Traffickers

Rachel Adcock
2013 Texas Legislature Human Trafficking Bill
Post 1

Officials estimate that approximately 100,000 American children are exploited in the commercial sex industry annually. Due in part to geographic relation to other nations as well as numerous interstate systems, Texas has become a central location for trafficking activity. According to Texas Attorney General Greg “traffickers have turned Texas into a hub for international and domestic forced labor and prostitution rings.” The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services claims that 25% of human trafficking victims in the United States are in Texas, and labeled the I-10 corridor between Houston and El Paso the main trafficking route in the U.S. Because human trafficking is a new consideration in the justice system, laws need to be reevaluated to include this prevalent issue.

Senate Bill No. 1312 applies to defendants who are charged with a felony due to sexual offense of any individual under the age of 14. The legislation specifically includes the crime of “trafficking of persons,” an addition that is crucial to the proper legal handling of trafficking cases. This bill includes cases in which the defendant “trafficked the victim with the intent or knowledge that the victim would engage in sexual conduct” and those who “benefited from participating in a venture that involved a trafficked victim engaging in sexual conduct.” As a result of this bill, then, both traffickers and the people who pay for sexual interactions with victims of trafficking can be punished accordingly. The bill also creates a new requirement that those found guilty of trafficking offer restitution to victims.

You can read the full text of the bill here:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/pdf/SB01312I.pdf#navpanes=0

Obama slacking on illegal immigration reform?

President Obama met with members of the all-Democratic Congressional Hispanic Caucus yesterday for the third time in three weeks. Representative Luis Gutierrez was pleased to see Obama agree with him that it makes little sense to deport younger illegal aliens who were brought to the U.S. by their parents. 


This is an important part of this legislation because of its significance to the DREAM act, which failed last year but will be re introduced this year. The DREAM Act stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors and provides conditional permanent residency to certain illegal alien students who graduate from U.S. high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. legally or illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bills enactment. 


"The president stressed absolutely that the real fix is going to have to be legislative," Rep. Charlie Gonzalez of Texas said. 


It will definitely take a strong legislative action to fix the illegal immigration problem in the country, but the real question is once that action or bill is passed, how will everyone in Texas react? 


Sources:
http://dreamact.info/students

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20110503/us-obama-immigration/

Immigration House Bill 2012

There has been some serious controversy and opposition towards House Bill 2012, and rightfully so. It creates an exception for people who hire for the purpose of obtaining labor or other work to be performed exclusively or primarily at a single-family residence, even if the homeowner-employer intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly hired the worker without employment authorization.


This is especially important for Texans because of the large number of illegal immigrants that work as babysitters. Texas state rep Aaron Pena said, "A large number of the Texas population would end up in prison if the bill is passed. When it comes to household employees or yard workers it is extremely common for Texans to hire people who are likely undocumented workers. It is so common it is overlooked." 


The fact that a state representative is admitting a hard truth like that to a news giant like CNN shows the gravity of this situation. It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the future because of the mixed message it portrays. They might as well make it easy and say, "We want you here, but we don't." Bills like these tend to weaken efforts of immigration reform because they propose penalties and restrictions which appear to be based on arbitrary distinctions and class privilege. 




Sources: 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110302/ts_yblog_thelookout/proposed-texas-immigration-law-contains-convenient-loophole-for-the-help




-Matt Looney

March of Dimes: What's Next

As the March of Dimes continues to work so that all babies are born to stay healthy they have focused their efforts more specifically on the continued funding of newborn screening and the health care reform. Both of these major issues affect the mission of the organization so supporters advocate on behalf of MOD to make sure that cuts are not made that will effect them meeting their mission.

Newborn screening is a successful preventive public health activity. 

Newborn screening: Basic facts

• Newborn screening is the early identification of infants affected by certain genetic, metabolic, hormonal and/or functional conditions.
• Screening detects disorders in newborns that, if left untreated, can cause death, disability, intellectual disabilities and other serious illnesses.
• If diagnosed early, these conditions can be successfully treated.
• The American College of Medical Genetics, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the March of Dimes and the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders recommend screening all newborns for 29 treatable disorders and reporting on an additional 25 disorders.

(SOURCE: March of Dimes Advocacy)

The march of Dimes continues to advocate for these newborn screenings because of these facts.

Currently, March of Dimes has been advocating so that all women and their children may have health care. "Having insurance coverage affects how and whether women and children can obtain needed health care services. In 2007, the Institute of Medicine reported that uninsured women receive fewer prenatal services and experience greater difficulty in obtaining needed care than women with insurance."
(SOURCE: March of Dimes Advocacy)

If you would like to assist in any of these and other advocacy efforts through the March of Dimes you may sign up below!


March of Dimes Advocacy

-Domonique M. Mack

Update on Progress of Nutritional Bills

For the past four months, this blog has followed the progress of issues currently being addressed in the 82nd Texas Legislature. A variety of subjects, including eminent domain, smoking, and gambling, have been discussed by Texas politicians; however, the $27 billion budget shortfall dominated debate for much of this session. 

While the topic of altering nutritional and physical education programs in Texas public schools did not receive much attention, several bills in the House and Senate regarding minor alterations to similar existing bills were passed.   

HB 127 created more strict rules relating to the types of beverages that may be sold to students on public school campuses. The bill was passed in House and has been received by the Senate.

HB 280 alters a health credit for high school graduation. The bill was referred to Public Education in February and no action has been taken since.


HB 281 alters physical education credits required for high school graduation. The bill was referred to Public Education and no action has been taken.




HB 643 deals with summer nutrition programs in public school districts. The bill was referred to the Agriculture and Livestock committee in February and was left pending in committee.
  
SB 185 creates more rigorous physical education requirements in Texas public schools. The bill refereed to Education in January and no action has been taken since.  

SB 225 relates to developing reports about goals information needed order to promote improved student health. The bill was referred to Education in January.

Debate over school nutrition and physical education programs is likely to continue in the future as obesity becomes a growing issue for children in Texas.

Adult Probation Overview

As seen throughout the past few months, it is indisputable that the budget crisis is affecting every social service industry in Texas, one being the correctional system. There have been a lot of social concerns from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The TDCJ believes that these cuts will end up costing the state more money in the long run. With cuts to the education and re-entry programs that prisons have in place, the TDCJ sees the prisoners coming right back to prison because they were not properly helped with such a life-altering change. Ultimately costing the state more to put them back in the system. Certain cuts will be made that will not sit well with those in charge of the criminal justice system. 

The correctional budget is still ever changing and we will have to see if the concerns from the TDCJ will be taking into account when finalizing the bill. The below summary of the budget cuts are from a Dallas Morning News article. 



For sure cuts in the proposed bill…

• About 550 layoffs: $4.6 million
• Canceled treatment facility: $12 million
• Not replacing equipment: $7.1 million
• Improved information technology practices: $3.9 million
• Cut unused treatment program funding: $3.7 million
• Staffers’ housing: Correctional officers are also being charged at least 20 percent of fair market value for prison housing. Some housing had been free.

Some cuts still on the table are…

• Close the Central Prison Unit near Sugar Land.
• Raise employee health insurance costs.
• Cut education and vocational programs for inmates.
• Reduce substance abuse and mental health programs.
• Charge inmates with money in commissary accounts $100 a year for health care.
• Reduce prison release “pocket money” from $100 to $50.
• Charge inmates for over-the-counter medications such as aspirin.
• Charge correctional officers when they eat more than two meals per shift in the prison chow hall.

In closing, those who are interesting in keeping up with the Texas correctional system, I recommend following the Grits for Breakfast blog. This blog talks about the Texas criminal justice system at an interesting angle while sharing important information through articles and other websites. 

-Caroline Cardenas