Latest news with #ShelleyFunkeFrommeyer
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky Make America Healthy Again task force meets for first time
Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, discusses her resolution to establish a Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force to implement the Trump administration's health policies. Feb. 27, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) During the first meeting of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Kentucky Task Force, lawmakers said they want to address food deserts and food quality, childhood obesity, mental health and health care costs, among other things. Members and non members had a slew of ideas for what the task force should focus on — including education, diabetes, personal responsibility around health, the importance of physical fitness, agricultural partnerships, chronic illnesses, dental care, cancer and other topics. Co-chair Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, said the task force could 'chase a lot of rabbits' but should stay focused. She and co-chair Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, want to place emphasis on food quality and availability. In 2023, 753,410 Kentuckians were food insecure, meaning they don't have enough to eat and may not know where their next meal will come from. Meanwhile, the 'big beautiful bill' Republicans in the U.S. House passed in May shifts to state governments some of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food to low-income Americans. The Kentucky General Assembly created the MAHA Kentucky Task Force this year as a way to implement the Trump administration's principles in the commonwealth. Hot button topics like fluoridated water will come up during the interim, Funke Frommeyer said, but 'I don't think you'll hear that in our committee.' In the 2025 session, a bill to make fluoride in water optional in Kentucky passed the House but not the Senate. Task force members, in addition to Funke Frommeyer and Lockett, are Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville; Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville; Sen. Craig Richardson, R-Hopkinsville; Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville; Rep. Emily Callaway, R-Louisville; Rep. Robert Duvall, R-Bowling Green; Rep. Adam Moore, D-Lexington; and Rep. Marianne Proctor, R-Union. Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, who is not a task force member but shared his thoughts during the Wednesday meeting, said 'the work that will be done here will touch every committee that we have in the legislature.' 'We forget that we don't live and work in a vacuum, and everybody's going to be impacted by this, said Meredith, a retired hospital executive. 'I've been preaching for the last year about the unsustainable growth in health care costs, particularly in the United States. If we don't get control of this, I truly believe it's going to cause our economy to collapse.' The next task force meeting is July 10 at 3 p.m. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Birth center legislation advances again in Kentucky General Assembly
From left, Mary Kathryn DeLodder, the director of the Kentucky Birth Coalition, Rep. Jason Nemes and Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer testify before the House House Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee, March 5, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — Another bill aimed at opening the way for freestanding birth centers in Kentucky unanimously passed a House committee Wednesday morning. House Bill 90 is the sister bill to Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer's Senate Bill 17, which already passed the Senate — the first time a freestanding birth center bill passed that chamber in the half a decade the legislation has been considered in Kentucky. Birthing centers with no more than four beds would not be required to obtain a certificate of need from the state under the legislation. Of the two identical bills, SB 17 is expected to be the one that crosses the legislative finish line, HB 90's sponsor, Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, said before the House Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee. 'I think this will be the last time we're trying to get this bill through this committee,' said Nemes, who's tried for years to get a version of his legislation into law. Compromises this year include requiring centers to have a physician medical director and a hospital transfer agreement. Centers would also have to be within 30 miles of a hospital, but if a hospital closed after a center opened within 30 miles, that birth center would be exempt from the distance requirement. No one testified against the bill, and Nemes said he is not aware of anyone against it after compromises led to support or neutrality.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
KY version of Trump's health commission gets Senate OK as Democrat denounces ‘abject misinformation'
Sen. Steve Rawlings, R-Burlington, takes a photo of Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, after the Senate approved her resolution to establish a Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force, Feb. 27, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — A Democratic physician pointed to a Kentucky measles case and condemned 'abject misinformation' as the Republican-controlled state Senate unanimously voted Thursday to adopt Trump administration health goals and launch a Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force. Sen. Karen Berg, a physician in Louisville, voted for the resolution but said, 'We are going backwards.' Kentucky officials announced a case of measles Wednesday night. Measles is a highly contagious virus that is preventable by vaccine, according to Johns Hopkins. Berg pointed to the rate of measles vaccination in Kentucky, which the Department of Health says is about 90% and slightly lower than the national percentage, which she blamed on misinformation about the safety and benefits of vaccines. The Kentucky Senate last year approved a bill that would have prohibited schools and employers from requiring a COVID-19 vaccine. The bill died in the House. President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has gained wide recognition for spreading inaccurate information and skepticism about vaccines. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a polio survivor, was the only Republican in the U.S. Senate who voted against Kennedy's confirmation. Trump has started a Make America Healthy Again Commission that Kennedy will chair. Berg said, 'I understand wholeheartedly the concepts of health and wellbeing and being responsible for what you put in your body and how you treat your body. But I also cannot — and under any circumstances — minimize what medicine has done to impact the survival of children in this country.' While introducing her resolution, primary sponsor Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, emphasized the hope for Kentucky to move toward a more 'holistic' view of health. 'We want to pursue evidence-based approaches,' Funke Frommeyer said. 'We'd like to encourage partnerships with research institutions to gather data on the long term benefits of holistic health practices, providing a robust basis for policy decisions.' The task force would be composed of eight legislative members — four from the Senate and four from the House — including two Democrats and six Republicans, appointed by each chamber's leadership, who would meet at least once a month during the interim before the next legislative session. The task force would also include the Cabinet for Health and Family Services secretary, Kentucky Department for Public Health commissioner, Department for Community Based Services commissioner, the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education and the chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensure and Certification for Dietitians and Nutritionists, or their designees. By Dec. 1, the task force would submit a report with recommendations to the governor and the Legislative Research Commission outlining ways to improve the health of Kentuckians. Funke Frommeyer said the task force's goals will include scrutinizing weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, promoting 'preventative and alternative therapies,' reevaluating Medicaid drug approvals and more.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky legislature moves to implement Make America Healthy Again
Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, left, joined Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, right, to discuss the Make America Healthy Again Kentucky taskforce. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — The Kentucky legislature is moving to incorporate the Trump administration's 'Make America Healthy Again' principles in the commonwealth. On Tuesday, members of the Senate Families and Children Committee unanimously — and with bipartisan support — passed a resolution to establish the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Kentucky Task Force. The task force would be composed of eight legislative members — four from the Senate and four from the House — including two Democrats and six Republicans, appointed by each chamber's leadership, who would meet at least once a month during the interim. The task force would also include the Cabinet for Health and Family Services secretary, Kentucky Department for Public Health commissioner, Department for Community Based Services commissioner, the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education and the chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensure and Certification for Dietitians and Nutritionists, or their designees. By Dec. 1, the task force would submit a report with recommendations to the governor and the Legislative Research Commission outlining ways to improve the health of Kentuckians. Primary sponsor Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, acknowledged the federal plan isn't finalized yet but said 'this is our starting point' to start addressing Kentucky's dismal health statistics. Kentucky is one of the least healthy states in the nation, with high rates of diabetes and cancer deaths, maternal mortality and more. President Donald Trump's Feb. 13 executive order gave the federal MAHA commission 100 days to submit a report on their findings into a slew of health issues, including antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), weight-loss drugs and more. While waiting on more federal direction, Funke Frommeyer said, her MAHA Kentucky goals include: Reevaluate Medicaid drug approvals. Scrutinize drugs like ozempic and propose a thorough review of the Medicaid approval process 'to ensure that the high cost for forever medications like ozempic are only used when truly necessary.' Promote preventative and alternative therapies. Encourage the adoption of less invasive, more holistic treatments 'consistent with … restoring American health over corporate profit.' Revamp medical and dental curricula to '(ensure) future providers are educated on addressing the root causes of chronic illness, rather than solely relying on pharmaceuticals.' Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, praised the parts of the resolution that encourages reduction of environmental pollutants and increased access to nutritious food. 'I know that in my district, and in Louisville, that there is a lack of access to fresh food, grocery stores and then there's a lot of environmental issues,' said Herron, who voted in favor of the resolution. 'I look forward to learning more about this and working with you all to really get down to those root causes, to make sure that all Kentuckians have access to be healthy.' The federal commission's report should come out in late May. 'We want to communicate the vision, clearly articulate that the goal is to enhance public health and prevent over medication,' Funke Frommeyer said, 'not to attack agriculture, not to attack pharmaceutical companies, not to attack processed food industries.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Birthing centers bill wins Kentucky Senate approval for first time
Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, right, presents Senate Bill 17, an act related to freestanding birthing centers, to the Senate Committee on Health Services. Jenny Fardink, a certified professional midwife, listens to the presentation, Feb.5, 2025. (LRC Public Information) The long-debated controversy over freestanding birthing centers in Kentucky reached the floor of the Senate Friday as a bill aimed at paving the way for them easily won approval, 34-0 with two lawmakers passing. Senators stood and clapped after the vote. The bill now heads to the House, which last year approved legislation aimed at removing hindrances to opening birthing centers. That bill died in the Senate. Friday's Senate vote offers some hope that this year's Senate Bill 17 will become law. SB 17 would remove the certificate of need requirement for freestanding birth centers, which advocates have said is the main hurdle blocking them in the state. Freestanding birth centers are small, homelike facilities where people with healthy pregnancies can have low-intervention births. Birthing centers bill clears first legislative hurdle in 2025 session SB 17, sponsored by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, requires centers to have a physician medical director and a hospital transfer agreement, which helped garner support among lawmakers. SB 17 also says freestanding birth centers would have to be within 30 miles of a hospital. If a hospital closed after a center opened within 30 miles, that birth center would be exempt from the distance requirement, essentially grandfathered into the place. Among those passing was Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville. A physician, Douglas said in committee that Funke Frommeyer had done a 'wonderful job' on the bill but expressed his lingering concern about medical fallout from unforeseen complications during birth. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
