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The California Legislature has passed a first-of-its-kind bill to ban four food additives linked to potential health issues. If Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signs it, Assembly Bill 418 would prohibit the sale of foods and drinks in California that contain red dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propylparaben starting in 2027. If it is enacted, it would mark the first time that a state has banned food additives that are permitted by the Food and Drug Administration. (Chuck, 9/12)

California lawmakers voted Tuesday to put a proposal before voters next March that would overhaul how counties pay for mental and behavioral health programs in an effort to address the state’s worsening homelessness crisis. The bill authored by Democratic state Sen. Susan Eggman was passed by the state Assembly and will need one more vote in the Senate if it is to make the ballot. (Nguyen, 9/12)

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) used a public health order Friday to ban firearms in Albuquerque, a move that has garnered widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans amid concerns that it could violate the Second Amendment. Grisham’s declaration bans the carrying of firearms — both open and concealed carry — in parts of the state that meet a specific threshold of violent crime. Only the city of Albuquerque meets that threshold. (Robertson, 9/12)

It was only six days into the fall semester at UNC Chapel Hill when a gunman in a chemistry building sent the campus into lockdown mode. On Tuesday, 15 days after the incident of terror, students from that campus and others were in Raleigh to tell lawmakers they were fed up with the “thoughts and prayers” that flow after these increasingly common occurrences in their lives. They were determined to let the lawmakers know how hollow those words are to them — and what they would rather hear and see. (Blythe, 9/13)

About twice a week, a pregnant patient turns up in Dr. Irene Stafford’s obstetrics office in Houston with syphilis, a sexually transmittable disease that affects more newborns in Texas than anywhere else in the country. For a seasoned professional like Stafford, the sheer numbers are startling. She’s been treating congenital syphilis with increasing frequency in recent years in a city that has the state’s highest newborn infection rates. (Harper and Carver, 9/13)

A new 330-bed mental health hospital being built in Oklahoma City is expected to provide services to Oklahomans in their most vulnerable moments. The new operation, to be built near the campus of Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City in 2026, will replace Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman. “This hospital is an investment, dedicated to the people of Oklahoma,” said Carrie Slatton-Hodges, commissioner of Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. (Money, 9/12)

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a lack of sleep is “common” among high school students and is associated with increased risk of being overweight, drinking, smoking, using drugs and poor academic performance. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that high schools not start before 8:30 a.m., and says changing to later start times would result in better outcomes for teens, including reduced obesity risk, lower rates of depression, fewer drowsy driving crashes and improved quality of life. (Povich, 9/13)

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin is renowned for authoring the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law in 1990. As he prepared to retire after serving 40 years in Congress, the senator founded The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement in 2013 to carry on his legacy and policy work primarily on issues of labor and employment, people with disabilities, retirement security and wellness and nutrition. (Fischels, McIntosh and Kieffer, 9/12)