Calif. Lawmakers Want To Tackle Health Risks Associated With Youth Football
“The science is clear: head injuries sustained at a young age can harm kids for the rest of their lives," said Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), who is introducing a bill that would block tackle football until high school.
Los Angeles Times:
California Would Bar Organized Tackle Football Before High School Under New Bill
California would become the first state to prohibit minors from playing organized tackle football before high school under a proposal made Thursday by lawmakers concerned about the health risks. Just days after the Super Bowl, Assembly members Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) said they are introducing the “Safe Youth Football Act,” legislation that will be considered this year by state lawmakers. (McGreevy, 2/8)
In other news from Sacramento —
The Bakersfield Californian:
'Everybody Wants Things To Change': San Joaquin Valley Residents Head To Sacramento, Demanding Lawmakers Invest In Their Communities
Imagine a place where people turn on their faucets and the pipes spit out contaminated water. Or the air pollution is so thick that it causes asthma. A place where the top grossing industry pays its workers wages so low that many struggled to survive. For many living in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, they don’t have to imagine. It’s the crushing reality they face every day — and policy makers and state advocates are beginning to notice. Organized by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, thousands of San Joaquin Valley residents — hundreds of them from Kern County — rose early, loaded onto buses and took the long ride to the state capitol in Sacramento Thursday, demanding lawmakers begin passing policies that improve health outcomes in their communities. (Pierce, 2/8)
California Healthline:
Sacramento Postcard: Residents Rally For A Healthy Valley
Yang Vang, a Hmong refugee living in Merced, suffers from severe joint pain. She becomes sick with worry when she hears her Medi-Cal coverage might be in jeopardy, and she has battled suicidal thoughts because of it. Rosalba Villanueva, a farmworker of 10 years who lives in Bakersfield, broke her wrist six months ago when she slipped and fell in a vineyard. Her employer covers medical bills related to the accident, but her other health needs often go unmet because she is undocumented and uninsured. (Ibarra, 2/9)