Latest news with #SenateBill93
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anchorage lawmaker seeks to boost early education funding for 3-to-5-year-old Alaska students
Preschool children playing with colorful shapes (Getty Images) Alaska school districts that offer early childhood learning programs for children ages 3 to 5, such as programs to help children be ready for kindergarten, could see a state funding boost under new legislation currently being considered by the Alaska Senate. Senate Bill 93 would boost funding for school districts that are currently enrolled in early education programs under the Alaska Reads Act. The bill would increase per-student funding from half funding to the full amount for other students within the state's public education funding formula. The Alaska Reads Act program supports early literacy for pre-K through grade 3 with the aim of improving reading. 'The concept isn't new,' said Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, the bill's sponsor, citing a body of research supporting improved lifelong learning outcomes following pre-K programs. 'For every dollar we invest in high quality early learning, we see a $32 return on investment in increased earning potential, higher graduation rates, higher engagement and post-secondary opportunities.' She explained with the outmigration of families and children from Alaska, funding early learning programs would encourage young student enrollment. 'Last year, the Legislative Finance Division indicated about 3,700 kids left our public education system in total,' she said. 'So what our hope is, is not only to provide districts with full funding to maintain their pre-elementary programs, but also to help balance out that outmigration with incoming students.' School districts can choose to offer prekindergarten in Alaska, and districts' enrollment in early learning programs under the Alaska Reads Act is also voluntary. Currently the participating districts are Anchorage, Skagway and Valdez. The Department of Education estimates the funding increase would cost roughly $7.6 million, already requested in Gov. Mike Dunleavy's budget proposal for next year, going towards funding the Alaska Reads Act, according to a fiscal note to the bill. State Education Commissioner Deena Bishop said that the governor's budget includes roughly $4.7 million to sustain funding for existing early education programs and $3 million to expand the number of districts with these programs. The Alaska Reads Act planned for annual increases in funding and programs, Bishop said in a text statement through a spokesperson. 'We look forward to all Alaska school districts who desire to serve their communities with pre-schools, can do so,' she said. 'The Alaska Reads Act was a transformational piece of legislation. The present bill builds on its success.' Tobin said the increased funding could also help alleviate child care costs for families. 'We know those pre-K kids are in their communities, their parents might be struggling to braid together support for child care, or for babysitting,' she said. 'And by not only providing stability for districts to offer these programs, we also are helping them in stabilizing their school population, and also helping families that are looking for child care options that are high quality and available.' The bill now is set to be heard in the Senate Finance Committee, where Tobin hopes lawmakers support the education investment. 'We know it's not going to have an impact on our budget. And we do know the fiscal notes of the Alaska Reads Act were adopted when the bill was passed in 2022, so it's not going to have a discernible impact on our current budget projections.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘We're fighting to keep them open': pharmacies across the state struggle to make ends meet
ALABAMA (WHNT) — Bags crinkling and staplers snapping are heard less and less at pharmacies across Alabama. Pharmacists in the state, like Bob Giles with the Alabama Pharmacy Association, said they are not reimbursed properly by Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs. In short, they said they lose money when they fill prescriptions for patients. Pharmacists across Alabama to participate in walkout for PBM reform 'There's not a business out there, health care provider or otherwise, that can continually be paid less than the cost of dispensing or less than the cost to provide that service and stay in business,' Giles said. Roughly 13% of drugstores across Alabama have closed since 2018, according to the Alabama Independent Pharmacy Alliance. In response to the complications and challenges within the pharmacy industry in recent years, some local pharmacies are temporarily shutting their doors on February 25 at 1 p.m. The walkout is in support of Senate Bill 93, a bill proposing to reform the current payout structure. '93 is a very, condensed version of the Fair Meds Act that was introduced last year in the House,' Giles said. 'So it addresses reimbursement. It addresses transparency and the ability to tell the truth, gets rid of the fees associated with network participation and then has enforcement.' Your Wellbeing: The importance of heart health in young patients While most pharmacies feel the impacts of current state policies, not all are participating in the walkout, such as Huntsville's own Star Discount Pharmacy. Trent McLemore, the Director of Star Discount Pharmacy, said they support all reform efforts. He added that the pharmacy has made an effort to educate all their patients about the struggles pharmacies face over the last 11 months. Because of those efforts, he said participation in the protest seemed unnecessary. 'I felt it sent the wrong message to close our doors when we're fighting to keep them open,' McLemore said. McLemore presented to the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on February 19 in favor of reform, focused on the protections Star Discount Pharmacy has at its Tennessee location. He said they have sent roughly $12 million across state lines since August to keep their doors in Alabama open. 'They passed legislation in Tennessee to protect their pharmacies, all pharmacies, from being paid below cost,' McLemore told News 19. 'As a result, we've sent quite a number of prescriptions, a lot of business to our Tennessee store. It's been able to allow us to keep our patients here, not turn them away. Not tell them they have to find their medication elsewhere because we're taking a loss.' McLemore's presentation showed support for Senate Bill 99, not 93. He said the two have a lot of similarities in the reform they want for pharmacies, but that SB 99 offers protections for employers. 'SB 99 and SB 93 both protect the patient from any increase in cost,' McLemore said. 'SB 99 also protects the employer by requiring rebates to be passed back to them. Employers, patients, pharmacies, everybody wins except for the PBMs.' McLemore emphasized the importance of having local pharmacies in the community. 'We, as independent pharmacies, show up after hours and take care of somebody,' McLemore said. 'We're the ones that, you know, take care of you when no one else will.' Giles said the reforms proposed in state legislation do not affect any federally funded healthcare plans, such as Medicare. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill to ban some food additives moves to full Illinois Senate
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois lawmakers have renewed their push to pass a food safety bill that would ban certain additives shown to negatively impact human health. On Tuesday, Senate Bill 93, also known as the Illinois Food Safety Act, passed the Senate Public Health Committee and will now advance to the full body for consideration. 'We have taken a pivotal step forward to protect all Illinoisans,' said Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago). 'A significant milestone in our effort to protect every Illinoisan from having a dangerous, poisonous food supply.' If passed, it would ban certain additives in candy, soda, and other food items sold and manufactured in Illinois. The bill, which is a bipartisan effort, had support in the Senate last spring but failed to make it to the House. 'We've worked diligently to create legislation that is fair, that is science-based, and that is effective,' said Preston, who introduced the legislation. In its current language, which Preston will look to modify considering recent federal developments, Senate Bill 93 includes banning food products containing brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye No. 3. On Jan. 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food, citing the Delaney Clause, a section of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act that prohibits the use of cancer-causing chemicals in food. Since its approval in 1969, red dye No. 3 has been found in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods: What to know In July, the FDA also banned the use of BVO in food. It previously was used in small amounts as a stabilizer for fruit flavoring in drinks to keep the citrus flavor from floating to the top. Preston plans to keep language to ban propylparaben and potassium bromate in food products produced in the state. The bill would also prohibit businesses from selling or distributing food products with these additives. Propylparaben, according to the Environmental Working Group, is a preservative found in 49-widely available processed foods, including some cinnamon rolls, cakes, and corn tortillas. The group argues propylparaben disrupts the endocrine system, and its been critical of the FDA's failure to take action to ban it in food or to reassess its safety. Potassium bromate, an oxidizing agent used as a food additive, mostly in the bread-making process to strengthen dough and allow for better rising in the oven, has been flagged by some health experts as posing a serious risk, including a potential for cancer. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services said it may be a carcinogen since it has been shown to cause kidney, thyroid, and gastrointestinal cancer in animals. 'Make no mistake: food, and the security of our food, and the quality of our food, is a bipartisan issue,' said Sen. Seth Lewis (R-Carol Stream). Proponents of the bill argue the legislation would impact people in all areas of Illinois, from rural to urban, including areas of Chicago impacted by food deserts. 'Think about how many people in Illinois would be so much healthier if they didn't have all these unnecessary additives in their food,' said Sen. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago). Not everyone is in support of the bill. During Tuesday's committee hearing, several people voiced opposition, including lawmakers and food industry representatives who testified. 'Different laws in all 50 states would severely disrupt the economy, and a strong collaborative approach between state and federal policymakers is vital to protect the food supply,' argued Jennifer Gardner with the National Confectioners Association. 'I'm not supporting your bill, but not because I don't believe in it. I think it needs to be managed at the federal level,' said Sen. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport). If enacted into law, which will still require votes in each chamber before reaching the governor's desk, thousands of products would be impacted, lawmakers said during Tuesday's committee hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
