San Francisco First US Metropolis To Mandate Paid Sick Go away For Nannies, Cleaners
The city’s supervisory board passed the regulation on Tuesday and assured that around 10,000 domestic workers will be on sick leave. Also, government childcare issues in Rhode Island, debates over Georgia’s health proposals, a dangerous synthetic marijuana in Florida, and more are on the news.
San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Will Be First City To Require Sick Leave For Nannies, Cleaners, And Gardeners
The San Francisco board of directors unanimously passed a landmark law on Tuesday granting cleaners, nannies, gardeners and other domestic workers paid sick leave. The move – the first of its kind in the country – would affect approximately 10,000 people in San Francisco who work in private households cleaning, cooking, looking after children, gardening, organizing themselves, or non-medical To provide care for disabled people or the elderly. With many women and immigrants, these workers tend to be poorly paid, supporters said. (Says 12/14.)
In other US news –
The Boston Globe: RI child attorney sounds the alarm, says: “It’s never been this bad”
The Rhode Island child attorney sounded the alarm Tuesday, telling a state Senate committee that children in state care are not getting the services they need and are often being shipped out of the state. Jennifer Griffith noted that she and others had come before the Senate oversight committee two months ago warning of a growing crisis in the state’s Department of Children, Youth and Family. “When I tell you that the situation has gotten a lot worse and, frankly, dangerous, in the last 60 days, I’m telling you the truth,” Griffith said. “I’m telling you that we are at an extreme level of despair.” (Fitzpatrick, December 14th)
Georgia Health News: Georgia health proposals are pending official visits from Biden
A senior federal official in charge of negotiating Georgia’s high-level health proposals with Governor Brian Kemp visited Atlanta Tuesday to discuss maternal health and other issues. But Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, had no answers on when one of the half-million adults who are uninsured under current Georgia Medicaid rules might have a path to coverage. (Hart and Miller, Dec. 14)
Billings Gazette: Commissioners vote to return a question about the recreational pot to voters
Yellowstone County’s residents get another recreational marijuana vote. District commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday morning to put the question of whether recreational marijuana businesses can operate within the district back to voters in June. (Rogers, December 14th)
WUSF Public Media: Hillsborough health officials warn of counterfeit pot causing serious illness
The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County is warning people about a form of synthetic marijuana that causes serious illness. The agency has received several reports of people who smoked the drug, also known as a spice, and then developed a condition known as coagulopathy, which affected the ability of their blood to clot. Symptoms include bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, and vomiting blood. (Ochoa, December 14th)
On the news of the Idaho and Maine housing crisis –
Idaho Statesman: Boise Org Announces Plan to House Hundreds of Homeless People
Boiseans may be familiar with Housing First programs that provide shelter for the homeless regardless of their background, sobriety, or mental health. Now local officials are planning to add more of these housing units over the next five years. More than 500 people and families in Ada district need such living space, according to a plan by the local animal shelter organization. Our Path Home organization is now running a fee to create the housing units to meet that demand – but it will take a lot of community commitment and money to make it happen. (Country, December 14th)
Bangor Daily News: Bangor residents call for a change in homelessness policy following deadly fire
The tragedy has drawn attention to the growing homeless problem in Bangor, with the hour and a half public comment period attracting activists, community service workers and current and former members of the city’s homeless community. (Marino Jr., Dec. 14)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a round-up of health coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
