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Legislatures in two states this week backed away from bills that would require more kids to get vaccinated, measures similar to one pending in California. (Rosenhall, 3/13)

The Minnesota Department of Human Services’ mental health proposals for the 2015 legislative session focus on further strengthening the state’s mental health system — and filling gaps in coverage in many regions of the state. The set of legislative strategy proposals, which focus on the needs of children and adults, acknowledge that mental-health concerns are a growing issue statewide. Mental illness affects one in four Minnesotans, the proposals claim, saying state budgets must be adjusted to reflect that reality and support new systems designed to address the needs of the thousands in the state living with mental illness. (Steiner, 3/13)

A state health study has found that the benefits of paid sick and family leave are not equally available to Minnesotans of different ethnic backgrounds. The Minnesota Health Department study noted that access to paid sick and family leave promotes a variety of benefits, including lower infant mortality and healthier babies and mothers. (Zdechlik, 3/13)

A federal judge has deemed unconstitutional Washington’s practice of holding mentally ill people in jails while they await competency evaluations and treatment and during a trial that starts Monday, lawyers for mentally ill defendants and the state will try to find a remedy. The trial in U.S. District Court in Seattle comes as the Legislature debates bills that seek to fix the problem ahead of a court ruling. But one lobbyist for a state defender’s group said the judge is unlikely to approve either of the measures lawmakers are considering to shorten wait times and provide treatment. (3/14)

The current recommendation from the National Association for School Nurses is to have 1 nurse per 750 students. Georgia’s 2,264 public schools serve 1.7 million students, so the recommended number of nurses for the state is 2,267. But as of October 2014, there were only 1,555 licensed nurses who work in the state’s schools, Howard said. That leaves a shortage of more than 700. (Stewart, 3/13)

Gov. Nathan Deal is giving select nursing homes another shot at a $27 million rate increase only a few months after the same boost was stalled by the agency that regulates the industry. (Salzer, 3/14)

More Iowa high schoolers are using e-cigarettes than regular cigarettes, a new state survey suggests. Eleven percent of high school juniors said they had used e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days, according to the 2014 Iowa Youth Survey, released Friday by the state Department of Public Health. That compares to 9 percent who had smoked regular cigarettes in the previous 30 days. (Leys, 3/13)

The days of mystery meat and soda-dispensing vending machines may be gone, but that doesn't mean that the new era of school meals and snacks hasn't come without its own challenges. Nutrition guidelines for schools, which have gradually gone into effect since Congress passed the Michelle Obama-backed Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, can be logistically and financially difficult for already strapped district budgets. (Leonard, 3/13)

Colorful and glittery, they dangle from lawmakers' ears and lobbyists' lapels, drawing inquisitive looks and plenty of questions. What is it? The answer usually draws surprise, sometimes a few laughs and often another question. Really? "It's fun to see if people notice them or not," says state Rep. KC Becker, a Boulder Democrat. "Usually it's the women who can identify what that is. They are most familiar with what it looks like." (Frank, 3/13)