House Bill Research Articles

REVISITING STAKEHOLDERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS MTB-MLE AND ELT

A number of studies on the Filipinos’ attitude towards the Philippine official languages and on code-switching have been done; nonetheless, very few studies on attitude towards the Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) language program after its implementation in 2013 have been conducted. This paper presents selected stakeholder participants’ attitude towards the language program in relation to English language teaching (ELT) and learning after about seven years of its implementation, and now that it may be suspended through House Bill No. 6125 or the Act Suspending the Implementation of the Use of Mother Tongue as the Medium of Instruction for Kindergarten to Grade 3 as suggested by a prestigious national linguistic organization[13]. The writer’s self-designed attitude questions which were patterned after the language attitude questions [21] were used to gather data through interview. Analysis revealed that four out of six participants had a positive attitude towards MTB-MLE; two were undecided about their perception and attitude; however, three among the six did not fully understand the program. The participants supported ELT and acknowledged the role of English as the global language; nonetheless, they were uncertain as to whether or not MTB-MLE would have a positive impact on ELT and on global competitiveness. KEYWORDS: Attitude, Bilingualism, English proficiency, English Language Teaching (ELT), Language of Instruction (LOI), Mother Tongue Based-Multilingual Education MTB-MLE), Multilingualism.

The Trifecta of Violence: A Socio-Historical Comparison of Lynching and Violence Against Transgender Women

This article explores violence against transgender women—from the state control of trans bodies through laws and policies to an apparent increase in transphobic murders in the United States (US). Using a socio-historical comparison to the legacy of racism, racist policies, and lynching in the US, we consider the relationship between hateful rhetoric, state-sanctioned discrimination, such as North Carolina’s Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (known as “House Bill 2” or “HB2”), and the recently reported uptick in the murders of transgender women of color. Given the feminist backlash and racial threat rhetoric that characterizes the current political landscape, an exploration into this link is crucial to understanding the extreme threats facing transgender women.

Groundwork for the Practice of the Good Life: Politics and Ethics at the Intersection of North Atlantic and African Philosophy

Groundwork for the Practice of the Good Life: Politics and Ethics at the Intersection of North Atlantic and African Philosophy

Understanding Oregon’s Public Health and Pharmacy Formulary Advisory Committee

Pharmacists are engaging in a broader array of clinical activities, often necessitating prescriptive authority. As a result, in 2017, Oregon passed House Bill 2397, which directed the Oregon Board of Pharmacy (OBOP) to form the Public Health and Pharmacy Formulary Advisory Committee (PHPFAC). This multidisciplinary committee is charged with making recommendations to the OBOP on a formulary of drugs and devices that a pharmacist may prescribe and dispense pursuant to a diagnosis by a qualified health care provider. The formulary compendium, implemented through statewide protocols, currently provides a pathway for pharmacists to prescribe medications for cough and cold, preventative care, smoking cessation, travel, human immunodeficiency virus postexposure prophylaxis, noncomplicated vulvovaginal candidiasis, and an array of devices and supplies. It also allows a pharmacist to extend a patient’s prescription to avoid therapy interruption. Implementation has been delayed as statutory language required clarification, and it has been challenged by limited reimbursement for clinical consultation. However, the PHPFAC framework provides a novel approach to expand pharmacist prescriptive authority without ongoing legislative action. It also provides a mechanism to engage the pharmacy community in discussions surrounding pharmacist prescribing. Future work is needed to address barriers to implementation.

O1 Out-of-state abortions increased for Texas residents after House Bill 2

Objectives: Examine changes in the number of out-of-state abortions for Texas residents following clinic closures and gestational age limits imposed by House Bill 2 (HB2), which passed in July 2013 and was implemented in November 2013.

Holly Boswell: Asheville’s Social Justice Warrior, Voices from the LGBTQIA+ Archive of Western North Carolina

Abstract This article uses participant stories across four decades to historicize cultural shifts related to LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion within western North Carolina. In particular, I wish to introduce readers to social justice warrior Holly Boswell (born 1950), a transgender activist and movement influencer who moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1976. Holly Boswell co-designed the transgender symbol, created one of the longest running transgender support groups in the country, and pushed for gender neutral bathrooms in Asheville businesses long before HB2 (the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, commonly known as House Bill 2) attempted to mandate bathrooms by birth certificate data. Her scholarship shaped the language of the transgender liberation movement beyond gender binaries, and her advocacy facilitated a paradigm shift toward LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Всего лишь магазинная кража (или нет?): судебные процессы по делам о магазинных кражах до и после принятия Закона 585 штата Миссисипи

Objective: to examine the court processing of shoplifting offenses before and after the 2014 passage of Mississippi House Bill 585 in a rural jurisdiction.Methods: dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena using the general scientific (analysis, synthesis, induction) and specific scientific (formal-legal, systemic, comparative-legal, sociological) methods of cognition.Results: the research revealed several important policy implications. The first revolves around the importance of reducing the number of individuals charged with shoplifting that miss their court appearance. Previous research has revealed that, in many jurisdictions, individuals fail to appear in court not because they consciously refuse to appear but often because they are unaware or unable to appear. This may be a particular problem in the study city because they lack reliable public transportation of any form (making individuals heavily reliant on friends and relatives to help them get to their court appearance) and the court does not have a court appearance reminder notification system in place. This jurisdiction, and others who share these problems, would likely be well-served in considering a notification system whereby the individual who is to appear at court is notified 48-72 hours prior to their court appearance and required to respond to that notification. If no response is received, a follow-up inquiry should be submitted. If no response is received after the second notification, additional steps could be implemented prior to charging the individual with failure to appear or adjudicating them as guilty in absentia. A second important implication from this study has to do with the role of Walmart in the local community and criminal justice system. Walmart often has the largest loss prevention presence of any business in small, rural communities like this one. Thus, these security personnel have a vested interest in reducing shoplifting at Walmart . Local criminal justice officials should thus make special efforts to incorporate Walmart into crime prevention and reduction strategies in the community. Regular meetings between Walmart security personnel, the police chief and sheriff, and judges and corrections personnel would likely result in strategies that would both reduce shoplifting at Walmart and reduce the burden of shoplifting.Scientific novelty: the work showed that House Bill 585 increased the threshold required to move shoplifting from a misdemeanor to a felony (from $500 to $1,000) and took away the requirement that the third and subsequent arrests for shoplifting (for less than $500) were automatically enhanced as felonies. The findings reveal that the gender and racial gap in shoplifting arrests in the jurisdiction under study were reduced after House Bill 585. On the other hand, overall numbers of shoplifting arrests, failures to appear, and guilty dispositions increased after House Bill 585.Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific, pedagogical and law enforcement activities when considering issues related to the crime prevention and suppression.

Texas Perspectives on College and Career Readiness: An Examination of CTE-Supported Endorsements in Public High Schools

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 5 in 2013 to adopt the Foundation High School Program, a new graduation program intended to support youth college and career readiness. Texan students entering grade 9 were guided to enroll in one or more endorsements with a specific curriculum designed to introduce them to STEM, Business & Industry, Public Services, Arts & Humanities, or Multidisciplinary areas of study and future career pathways. This research was based on analysis of restricted-use Texas longitudinal administrative and transcript data for 9th graders enrolled in Texas public schools in the academic year 2015/16. We examined the complementary roles that exposure to core academic subjects and career and technical education courses has on making endorsement choices, with a focus on three CTE-supported endorsements, STEM, Business & Industry, and Public Service. The study contributes to the literature on college and career readiness by examining specifically how the academic and vocational dimensions are reflected in the Texas high school endorsements. The study also addresses social equity issues by inquiring who participates in which endorsements and whether student endorsement choices are marked by sociodemographic and academic differences that exacerbate educational inequalities.

Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program at Two Years: Evaluating Satisfaction and Perception

Medical marijuana became legal in Ohio on September 8, 2016 when House Bill 523 (HB 523) became effective. This bill created the framework for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP), and the architects of HB 523 promised the program would be “fully operational” within two years. But as of July 15th, 2020, the OMMCP was still not fully operational, creating concerns around persistent delays and the overall functionality of the program. After a year and a half of partially operating, the OMMCP continues its slow rollout. With possible future marijuana reforms on the horizon, the perceived effectiveness and success of the current system among Ohioans may shape the long-term future of the program. To our knowledge, the Harm Reduction Ohio (HRO) report1 released in September 2019 was the first concerted effort to survey patients and potential patients to evaluate their experiences and satisfaction with the OMMCP to date. This report looks at how people potentially impacted by the OMMCP perceive its performance and whether there have been changes in their satisfaction levels as compared to last year’s survey data. Our updated survey allows for a new examination into the efficacy of the structure of Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program and how this state’s initial experience with marijuana reform can inform the larger national conversations currently underway.

Sports beyond genders. Sociological analysis on the participation of trangender women in female sport competitions

Although sport historically represents an important vehicle for the dissemination of values and principles, it is often an arena of discrimination, most all based on gender (Balbo, 2001). The paper is aimed at analyzing the issue of the participation of transgender women in female sports in order to identify which are the main discrimination factors. To achieve this goal, the article analyzes the online conversations on the House Bill 2706 of Arizona that proposes that transgender female student athletes should not take part in female sporting activities, as they have physiological benefits that would make unequal the sport competitions. In particular, the paper studies the contents about this issue hosted on Twitter, the popular real-time microblogging social network. The method is based on design data mining analysis, supported by the use of software for quantitative analysis of the content. The study considers Tweets published during the period between February and March 2020. Sentiment analysis of Tweets shows that the road to the complete acceptance of the female transgender universe in sport is still very long and difficult to follow.

To CBD or not to CBD?: What pharmacists need to know

To CBD or not to CBD?: What pharmacists need to know

How COVID-19 Is Affecting Social Security Benefits, and What to Do about It

The economic contraction precipitated by the COVID-19 crisis is causing severe problems in Social Security. These problems include further weakening of Social Security finances, as payroll tax collections plunge during the recession, and a sharp decline in benefits for those eligible to begin collecting Social Security old-age benefits two years from now. To their credit, members of Congress are studying this unfolding crisis, and some are stepping forward with proposed responses. Many of these problems have their roots in Social Security law long predating the COVID-19 crisis, and they are simply being exacerbated or exposed by current conditions. Unfortunately, it is too easy for elected officials to react in a way that makes Social Security’s various problems even worse, as a recently introduced House bill—H.R. 7499, the Social Security COVID Correction and Equity Act—would do. This policy brief explains the latest crises as well as other persistent problems facing Social Security and offers guidance on how to address them.

Examining the Relationship between School District Revenue and English Learners PostHorne v. Floresin Arizona

The Horne v. Flores case (previously known as Flores v. Arizona) is one of the few school finance cases that challenged funding inadequacy through the lens of English learner (EL) education. Plaintiff districts in Flores challenged socio-normative dominance through an emphasis on language rights and the fiscal capacity necessary to engage those rights in public education ( Jiménez-Castellanos & Garcia, 2017 ; Jimenez-Silva, Gomez, and Cisneros, 2014 ; Martinez, 2018 ; Martinez, 2019 ). The outcomes of Flores limited access and social justice against a foundation of state and local judiciary bias, and redistributed educational funding toward a flawed pedagogical strategy that segregated its ELs ( Gándara & Orfield, 2010 ; Powers, 2014 ). The Flores case serves to highlight Arizona’s commitment to Latinx discrimination long held within the state’s hegemony, reified with policy such as Senate Bill 2010 and House Bill 2010. After 21 (1992–2013) years of litigation, Flores left Arizona EL students with no explicit resolution for fiscal or pedagogical improvement ( Martinez, 2018 ).

Campus Carry in Georgia: Challenges & Recommendations

The 2017 Georgia House Bill 280 states that, with limited exceptions, a properly licensed handgun owner can conceal carry on Georgia’s public college and university campuses. Since its inception and because of the recent history of mass shootings, much controversy surrounds this law. The infancy and controversy behind this law calls for further research into the subject. In this paper, we will offer a discussion of historical and environmental perspective, compliance with the law, risks and challenges, previous case analysis, and recommendations for Georgia Higher Education administrators. To lessen confusion and controversy surrounding the Campus Carry law in Georgia, administrators should consider implementing a committee to research the impact this law has on students, the institutions, and the state. Similarly, if the law is to remain in effect, mandatory safety trainings should be implemented on college and university campuses across the state.

Psychosocial Needs of Bereaved Spouses in Nigeria: Implications for Grief Counselling Intervention

Spousal death is a traumatic life event which engenders different reactions. It becomes more challenging when psychosocial needs are inadequate. This study examined the psychosocial needs of bereaved spouses in Nigeria. The research method adopted for this study was descriptive survey. The population of the study consisted of 1,924,301 bereaved spouses in Nigeria. Purposive and proportional sampling techniques were adopted in selecting a total sample of 1,594 bereaved spouses across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. The Psychosocial Needs of Bereaved Spouses Scale was used for data collection. Means, percentages, rank order, t-test, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical measures were used to analyze the data collected for the study. The findings of the study revealed that respondents needed to acquire a job to sustain the family, raise finances for family upkeep, pay house bills and deal with widowhood isolation, among others. Also, age at bereavement, length of years of loss and nature of death had significant influences on respondents’ psychosocial needs, while gender and religious affiliations had no significant influence on the psychosocial needs of the respondents. The study concluded that respondents’ psychosocial needs were high. The implication is that bereaved spouses need better psychosocial supports to facilitate better adjustments. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, among others, that counsellors should provide relevant community-based intervention programs and support services to assist bereaved spouses of different age groups, length of years of loss and nature of death, religion, and gender to meet their varying needs.

Effects of State Law Limiting Postoperative Opioid Prescription in Patients After Cesarean Delivery.

The impact of the Florida State law House Bill 21 (HB 21) restricting the duration of opioid prescriptions for acute pain in patients after cesarean delivery is unknown. Our objective was to assess the association of the passage of Florida State law HB 21 with trends in discharge opioid prescription practices following cesarean delivery, necessity for additional opioid prescriptions, and emergency department visits at a large tertiary care center. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a large, public hospital. The 2 cohorts represented the period before and after implementation of the law. Using a confounder-adjusted segmented regression analysis of an interrupted time series, we evaluated the association between HB 21 and trends in the proportions of patients receiving opioids on discharge, duration of opioid prescriptions, total opioid dose prescribed, and daily opioid dose prescribed. We also compared the need for additional opioid prescriptions within 30 days of discharge and the prevalence of emergency department visits within 7 days after discharge. Eight months after implementation of HB 21, the mean duration of opioid prescriptions decreased by 2.9 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.2-0.5) and the mean total opioid dose decreased by 20.1 morphine milligram equivalents (MME; 95% CI, 4-36.3). However, there was no change in the proportion of patients receiving discharge opioids (95% CI of difference, -0.1 to 0.16) or in the mean daily opioid dose (mean difference, 5.3 MME; 95% CI, -13 to 2.4). After implementation of the law, there were no changes in the proportion of patients who required additional opioid prescriptions (2.1% vs 2.3%; 95% CI of difference, -1.2 to 1.5) or in the prevalence of emergency department visits (2.4% vs 2.2%; 95% CI of difference, -1.6 to 1.1). Implementation of Florida Law HB 21 was associated with a lower total prescribed opioid dose and a shorter duration of therapy at the time of hospital discharge following cesarean delivery. These reductions were not associated with the need for additional opioid prescriptions or emergency department visits.

The Policy Substance of Legislative Ideology

Ideological differences in Congress are often presented as disagreement over what the government should do, but no study has systematically measured the policy instruments in bills. This article uses an original data set of policy instruments in all substantive House bills from 2007 to 2012 to test an argument about the kinds of instruments that most divide the contemporary ideological/partisan coalitions and uses an exploratory factor analysis of policy substance (combinations of instruments and topics) that lawmakers support to reveal the structure and content of the policy space. The analysis shows that disagreement over whether to increase or decrease taxes and spending are more divisive than disagreement over regulations and communication. Policy ideologies are characterized by a dominant economic dimension that is highly correlated with NOMINATE's first dimension, but with lower polarization and explanatory power. A second dimension that is conceptually similar to NOMINATE's second, and many smaller, issue‐specific dimensions also exist.

Psychosocial Needs of Bereaved Spouses in Nigeria: Implications for Grief Counselling Intervention

Spousal death is a traumatic life event which engenders different reactions. It becomes more challenging when psychosocial needs are inadequate. This study examined the psychosocial needs of bereaved spouses in Nigeria. The research method adopted for this study was descriptive survey. The population of the study consisted of 1,924,301 bereaved spouses in Nigeria. Purposive and proportional sampling techniques were adopted in selecting a total sample of 1,594 bereaved spouses across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. The Psychosocial Needs of Bereaved Spouses Scale was used for data collection. Means, percentages, rank order, t-test, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical measures were used to analyze the data collected for the study. The findings of the study revealed that respondents needed to acquire a job to sustain the family, raise finances for family upkeep, pay house bills and deal with widowhood isolation, among others. Also, age at bereavement, length of years of loss and nature of death had significant influences on respondents’ psychosocial needs, while gender and religious affiliations had no significant influence on the psychosocial needs of the respondents. The study concluded that respondents’ psychosocial needs were high. The implication is that bereaved spouses need better psychosocial supports to facilitate better adjustments. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, among others, that counsellors should provide relevant community-based intervention programs and support services to assist bereaved spouses of different age groups, length of years of loss and nature of death, religion, and gender to meet their varying needs.

What is the (Undue) Burden for Reversing Precedent? Analysis of June Medical Services v. Russo in a Newly Configured Supreme Court

Supreme Court precedent can change, but the doctrine of stare decisis requires a nonarbitrary reason for a change in precedent. This Note argues that June Medical Services v. Russo does not present a nonarbitrary reason to change the precedent from Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. If the Court does change this precedent, then it would signal a new era for the Court in which arbitrary reasons, like ideology, play a more significant role in the Court’s decision-making. In June Medical, the U.S. Supreme Court will determine the constitutionality of an abortion law virtually identical to one it held unconstitutional only four years prior. Louisiana’s Act 620, like Texas’s invalidated House Bill 2, requires physicians to obtain admitting privileges at a hospital near where they perform abortions. One difference this time is the state’s challenge to abortion providers’ third-party standing. The third-party standing challenge will likely, and rightfully, fail. The challenge is an audacious attempt that implicates decades of precedent in multiple areas of law. Thus, the Court should apply precedent from Whole Woman’s Health. Further, because June Medical is not materially different than Whole Woman’s Health, the Court should hold Act 620 unconstitutional. However, the other difference this time is the Court’s two new Justices. Both Justices were nominated by Republican President Donald Trump and confirmed narrowly by the Senate in often contentious proceedings. The new configuration of the Court means that if the Court invalidates Act 620, like it should, then the deciding vote would have to be cast by one of the new Justices or by one of the dissenters in Whole Woman’s Health. This rare combination of a newly configured Court confronting a nearly identical question recently answered by a previous Court promises to signal not only the Court’s view of abortion laws but also the Court’s approach to precedent.

Abortion Trends in Georgia Following Enactment of the 22-Week Gestational Age Limit, 2007-2017.

Objectives. To measure trends before, during, and after implementation of Georgia House Bill 954, a limit on abortion at 22 or more weeks of gestation passed in 2012, in total abortions and abortions by gestational age and state residence.Methods. We analyzed aggregate year-level induced termination of pregnancy data from the Georgia Department of Public Health from 2007 to 2017. We used linear regression to describe annual trends in the number of abortions and χ2 analyses to describe changes in proportions of abortions by gestational age (< 20 weeks, 20-21 weeks, and > 21 weeks) across policy implementation periods (before, partial, and full implementation) for Georgia residents and nonresidents.Results. Although the total number of abortions and abortions at 21 weeks or less remained stable from 2007 to 2017, the number of abortions at more than 21 weeks declined (P = .02). The decline in number of abortions at more than 21 weeks was steeper for nonresidents (31/year; Β = -31.3; P = .02) compared with Georgia residents (14/year; Β = -13.9; P = .06).Conclusions. Findings suggest that implementation of Georgia's 22-week gestational age limit has effectively limited access to needed abortion services in Georgia and beyond. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 21, 2020: e1-e5. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2020.305653).