Â鶹ŮÓÅ

Alabama state lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation that would prohibit classroom discussions or instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation in public schools through 12th grade, expanding the existing law that extends through 5th grade. The House Education Policy Committee advanced the legislation, which now heads to the Alabama House of Representatives for a full vote. (Fortinsky, 3/20)

An ugly legal battle between OASIS and AHF —involving a quarter-million dollars in federal funding for HIV medical care — is affecting hundreds of low-income patients in Northwest Florida. (Strickland, 3/20)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a multimillion-dollar measure to send state money to tribes and Indigenous people in the state who die from opioid overdoses at disproportionately high rates in Washington. It was one of seven fentanyl-related bills Inslee signed Tuesday while on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, KING-TV reported. (3/20)

Illinois schools will now more easily be able to get life-saving asthma inhalers to keep on-hand in case a student is struggling to breathe. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that Director Dr. Sameer Vohra has signed a standing order allowing Illinois schools to more easily obtain asthma inhalers that can be administered to anyone on-site who is experiencing respiratory distress. The medication can only be administered by school personnel who’ve gone through training. (Schencker, 3/20)

At least 70 million Americans get their water from a system where toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" were found at levels that require reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency. That's according to new data the EPA released in its ongoing 5-year review of water systems across the nation. The number will almost certainly grow as new reports are released every three months. (Fast, Garzella, and Pyun, 3/21)