Youth in the News
Volume 3, Number 10, May 16-31, 2008
Contents
State Watch
Research
Government
STATE WATCH
- Massachusetts Governor Patrick announced $5.6 million in funding for YouthWorks summer job programs this summer to help low-income and at-risk teenagers find summer employment when they are not in school.
- In Illinois, students petition for tougher gun laws and required background checks for all gun buyers.
- In Massachusetts, a community group has received a $100,000 award for an initiative providing local underage drinking intervention programs.
- In Texas, the Dallas City Council's Youth Commission teaches students about civic service and issues important to youth.
RESEARCH
- A new CLASP report presents a picture of risk and challenge for youth in distressed communities and addresses how these communities can work together to create a continuum of supportive activities to bolster youth's success in school and life.
- Health researchers have identified energy drinks as a new indicator for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults.
- New Child Trends Fact Sheets examine substance abuse in adolescents and review evaluated programs that focus on adolescent reproductive health.
GOVERNMENT
- In California, a bill is introduced urging the Governor to create a task force on violent and inappropriate Internet content.
- In New York, a bill that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt with a firearm when accompanied by an adult passed the Assembly.
- Legislation in Louisiana that would close a troubled juvenile corrections center and transfer its juvenile offenders to smaller community-based facilities moves to the House floor for debate.
- In Colorado, legislation establishing a Youth Advisory Council becomes law.
- In Minnesota, legislation allowing 16-year-old teens to donate blood with the consent of their parent or guardian becomes law.
- Maryland becomes the 11th state to enact a measure prohibiting harassment or bullying based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
ARTICLES
MASSACHUSETTS
Patrick Highlighted $5.6M for Job Programs
May 16, 2008
By Dan Baer, The Daily Item
Gov. Deval Patrick highlighted Tuesday his administration's funding of more than $5.6 million for YouthWorks summer jobs programs this summer, as part of a comprehensive approach that coordinates education, employment and support services to increase opportunity and development for young people throughout the state.
The $1.2 million in funding is slightly higher than the $629,000 that Patrick originally proposed back in February, providing a necessary increase for these programs during what has proven to be a very tight budget season.
The YouthWorks program money is earmarked for summer job programs at non-profit organizations, businesses in the private sector and local colleges that help struggling, low-income and "at-risk" teenagers and young adults find summer employment when they are not in school.
Through the funding, which is administered through the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development's Commonwealth Corporation, regional workforce investment boards will leverage other resources, including those jobs paid for by private sector employers, to expand the number of youth employment opportunities.
The YouthWorks initiative helps employers pay for the wages of those summer job placements where youth can take part in a variety of different job opportunities including maintenance, landscaping, camp counseling or specific vocational skills such as culinary arts or wood working.
"Summer jobs raise the hopes and skills of young people in the Commonwealth and give them the opportunity to work hard and earn," said Patrick. "This investment in the YouthWorks summer jobs program is critical to the youth who will be on the job and off the streets this summer."
YouthWorks employs low-income youth in 25 cities and towns in Massachusetts, including Lynn, Salem and Revere, providing over 3,200 summer jobs last year.
Despite this advancement, the percentage of teens in the labor force statewide has declined dramatically since 1999 from 57 percent to just 48 percent in 2006, and the employment rate of teens declined from 53 percent in 1999 to 39 percent in 2006, with an even larger decline in large urban areas with low income families, such as Lynn.
"An important part of preventing violence is engaging youth at the community level," said Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth and Families Marilyn Chase. "Solutions to public health issues facing our youth are a direct result of increased collaboration across youth serving organizations and agencies, as well as from the youth themselves. This grant program will provide the resources that will support positive youth development."
The YouthWorks funding comes just months after Patrick and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Suzanne Bump announced $3.1 million in grant funding for all of the Commonwealth Corporation's summer job programs, $50,000 of which went to the North Shore Workforce Investment Board, with offices in Lynn and Salem.
This latest funding source announced by Patrick will also filter down to the NSWIB, and other local organizations including North Shore Community College and the Massachusetts Department of Education, which works with local high schools on job initiatives.
ILLINOIS
Students Petition for Tougher Gun Laws
May 18, 2008
By Pamela Jones, CBS 2 Chicago
More students are speaking out against gun violence in their neighborhoods.
They met Sunday to show Illinois lawmakers and the governor that they want tougher gun laws.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports that the high school students have collected more than 1,000 petition signatures.
Each stood with their own story of gun violence.
"It hurts me to see the youth, because I have a friend who died, Blair Holt, from gun violence,' said Christine Goggins, a student from the Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy.
"Before I was born, 18 years ago, a 16-year-old New Trier student shot and killed my aunt, uncle and their unborn baby. I never got to meet them," said Liz Jenkins, a New Trier High School student.
They're high school students who have been collecting more than 1,000 signatures from people who want stricter gun laws in Illinois.
"I really just want to see guns off the street, period," said Eddie Bland, a student at Al Raby High School.
The Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says it wants the state to ban assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines – weapons like those reportedly used in the Virginia Tech shootings.
The group also wants required background checks for all gun buyers – no matter where they purchase guns.
"We know from ATF where illegal guns are coming from; many of them are coming from private sellers -- others are coming from gun dealers," said Nina Vinik of the Legal Community Against Violence.
Right now, Illinois requires gun owners to have a valid firearm owners identification card – which includes a background check. But sometimes people who shouldn't qualify slip through, like the suspect in the NIU shooting.
He'd received mental health treatment, but passed a background check and purchased his guns legally.
Supporters at today's press conference say the idea is to close loopholes that allow guns to get into the hands of criminals. But lawmakers say passing that kind of legislation is a difficult task.
"It's difficult because we have a regional issue. Legislators in downstate Illinois feel like we're impeding on their right to own handguns -- we're trying to remove guns from responsible gun owners and that's completely not the case," said Rep. Deborah Graham (D-78th).
The Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence formed last year to promote gun policy reform.
CBS 2 talked to a spokesman from the Illinois State Rifle Association. His group plans to oppose the gun lock and private sales legislation, saying gun locks make using a gun for self-defense almost impossible. And the spokesman says the background check already required in Illinois is strong enough.
MASSACHUSETTS
$100K for Local Underage Drinking Intervention Programs
May 16, 2008
iBerkshires.com
State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield) and State Representative Daniel E. Bosley (D-North Adams) are pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Bureau of Substance Abuse has awarded a $100,000 award to the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition for their Communities Mobilizing for Change in Alcohol (CMCA) initiative.
“With some of the highest underage drinking rates in the state, the Berkshires are in great need of meaningful intervention strategies,” remarked Downing. “The work of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition - aimed at reducing adolescent access to alcohol- is essential for reshaping our communities and enhancing the lives of our youth. I am pleased DPH has recognized their hard work and granted this award.”
Recent survey results released by DPH indicate that Berkshire County has one of the highest rates in Massachusetts of alcohol use by persons between 12 – 20 years old, and one of the higher rates of alcohol dependence or abuse in the past year by persons 12 and older.
Representative Bosley said, “The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition has done a great job over the years providing high quality community services to residents throughout Northern Berkshire County. It is all of our responsibility to look after the youth in our communities and make sure that they are given the proper guidance and information to make good choices. This grant will help accomplish that. I look forward to working with the coalition and members of the community in continuing to address the issues affecting our young residents.”
With this funding the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition will conduct CMCA initiatives in North Adams, Adams and Williamstown with a goal of transforming societal norms and acceptance around underage drinking by working with law enforcement, community leaders, parents, youth and local service providers. Strategies will include twice yearly compliance checks for all vendors serving alcohol, enforcement of underage drinking laws and the development of locally driven solutions, policies and education.
Upon hearing the news, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition Executive Director Al Bashevkin said, “We re thrilled to receive the funding. It will allow us to continue our work in changing community norms to help put an end to underage drinking- it’s a problem in Berkshire County and particularly in Northern Berkshire. We have a good model (CMCA) and will continue to follow it.”
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition will use this funding to help staff and manage “strategy teams”- teams comprised of professionals, community members, parents and youth- in each of the three communities. These teams will assess underage drinking within their community and develop targeted social marketing programs that will stress the issued they have identified.
TEXAS
Dallas' Youth Commission Teaches Students about Civic Service
May 20, 2008
By Jana Wallis, The Dallas Morning News
Highly motivated and seeking change, 15 Dallas youth are learning to make a difference through local government.
The City Council’s Youth Commission serves as a mock City Council, allowing high school students to learn how government functions and aid the council members in addressing youth-specific problems.
Last month, the Youth Commission sponsored local participation in Global Youth Service Day, organizing 200 Dallas-area youth for more than a dozen community service projects, including cleaning Five Mile Creek and sorting donations at St. Vincent De Paul thrift store. Youth Commission members served as site leaders helping to promote the day’s motto: “Save Your Earth, Save Your Life.”
Participants came from various schools and organizations, including Adamson High School and Cottrell Halfway House operated by the Texas Youth Commission.
One of two seniors on the board, Youth Commission chairwoman Christina Rodriguez was appointed by Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia and attends Townview Magnet High School, where she focuses on social services.
“Last year, I was the only junior on a board of all seniors,” Miss Rodriguez said. “Almost all the members are new this year and they are very dedicated, energized, educated and vocal.”
Three freshmen, three sophomores and seven juniors round out the board, which is supposed to have 30 members. One of the commission’s biggest problems has been the lack of appointees.
“The vacancies do hurt our commission,” Miss Rodriguez said. “It’s hard to get students to do things outside of school activities, but it makes it difficult for us to get things done because every time we meet we have to have a quorum.”
The group hopes to launch a Web site as part of a recruitment effort.
Mavis Lloyd, the city staffer assigned to support the Youth Commission, which functions under the Parks and Recreation Department, said the group has been involved in several endeavors, like an anti-graffiti project, curfew ordinance and leadership development.
“This is one of our best (commissions),” said Ms. Lloyd, who has overseen the program for 10 years. “They have great leadership and are excited to be on the Youth Commission.”
The current commission has focused on holding teen forums at community and recreation centers to find out what Dallas youth want.
“We go into the recreation centers and listen to the issues,” Miss Rodriguez said. “We hear things like teen pregnancy, gangs and wanting a safe place to hang out after school.”
With summer quickly approaching, Ms. Lloyd said City Hall staffers have received calls asking about safe jobs for teens, another issue the commission may tackle.
“Most recreational programs are for kids up to 12 years old,” Ms. Lloyd said. “But there isn’t much for teens 14 and older, so the parents are looking for jobs that aren’t really there.”
Part of the Youth Commission’s effectiveness comes from its close ties to the City Council. Each commission member meets with the City Council member who appointed him or her to maintain the flow of communication and allow topics to be reviewed by both parties.
Seeing change, and knowing she helped initiate it, Miss Rodriguez has chosen to focus on politics when she heads to the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
“I want to major in government at Texas because of the commission,” Miss Rodriguez said. “I like the City Council members and the impact they have.”
RESEARCH
A Collective Responsibility, A Collective Work: Supporting the Path to Positive Life Outcomes for Youth in Economically Distressed Communities
May 19, 2008
By Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt, The Center for Law and Social Policy
Young people in poor communities are living in a state of struggle and distress. This Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) report presents data from 10 communities across the country to highlight the magnitude of challenges faced by youth growing up in these cities. The report addresses ways in which communities can begin to create a sustainable support system for all of its youth. Please click here to view the report.
RESEARCH
Taste for Quick Boost Tied to Taste for Risk
May 27, 2008
By Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times
Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink.
Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States.
The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits.
In Colorado Springs, several high school students last year became ill after drinking Spike Shooter, a high caffeine drink, prompting the principal to ban the beverages. In March, four middle school students in Broward County, Fla., went to the emergency room with heart palpitations and sweating after drinking the energy beverage Redline. In Tigard, Ore., teachers this month sent parents e-mail alerting them that students who brought energy drinks to school were “literally drunk on a caffeine buzz or falling off a caffeine crash.”
New research suggests the drinks are associated with a health issue far more worrisome than the jittery effects of caffeine — risk taking.
In March, The Journal of American College Health published a report on the link between energy drinks, athletics and risky behavior. The study’s author, Kathleen Miller, an addiction researcher at the University of Buffalo, says it suggests that high consumption of energy drinks is associated with “toxic jock” behavior, a constellation of risky and aggressive behaviors including unprotected sex, substance abuse and violence.
The finding doesn’t mean the drinks cause bad behavior. But the data suggest that regular consumption of energy drinks may be a red flag for parents that their children are more likely to take risks with their health and safety. “It appears the kids who are heavily into drinking energy drinks are more likely to be the ones who are inclined toward taking risks,” Dr. Miller said.
The American Beverage Association says its members don’t market energy drinks to teenagers. “The intended audience is adults,” said Craig Stevens, a spokesman. He says the marketing is meant for “people who can actually afford the two or three bucks to buy the products.”
The drinks include a variety of ingredients in different combinations: plant-based stimulants like guarana, herbs like ginkgo and ginseng, sugar, amino acids including taurine as well as vitamins. But the main active ingredient is caffeine.
Caffeine content varies. A 12-ounce serving of Amp contains 107 milligrams of caffeine, compared with 34 to 38 milligrams for the same amount of Coca-Cola or Pepsi. Monster has 120 milligrams and Red Bull has 116. Higher on the spectrum, Spike Shooter contains 428 milligrams of caffeine in 12 ounces, and Wired X344 contains 258.
Mr. Stevens points out that “mainstream” energy drinks often have less caffeine than a cup of coffee. At Starbucks, the caffeine content varies depending on the drink, from 75 milligrams in a 12-ounce cappuccino or latte to as much as 250 milligrams in a 12-ounce brewed coffee.
One concern about the drinks is that because they are served cold, they may be consumed in larger amounts and more quickly than hot coffee drinks, which are sipped. Another worry is the increasing popularity of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. The addition of caffeine can make alcohol users feel less drunk, but motor coordination and visual reaction time are just as impaired as when they drink alcohol by itself, according to an April 2006 study in the medical journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
“You’re every bit as drunk, you’re just an awake drunk,” said Dr. Mary Claire O’Brien, associate professor in the departments of emergency medicine and public health services at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Dr. O’Brien surveyed energy drink and alcohol use among college students at 10 universities in North Carolina. The study, published this month in Academic Emergency Medicine, showed that students who mixed energy drinks with alcohol got drunk twice as often as those who consumed alcohol by itself and were far more likely to be injured or require medical treatment while drinking. Energy drink mixers were more likely to be victims or perpetrators of aggressive sexual behavior. The effect remained even after researchers controlled for the amount of alcohol consumed.
Energy drink marketers say they don’t encourage consumers to mix the drinks with alcohol. Michelle Naughton, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, which markets Amp, said, “We expect consumers to enjoy our products responsibly.”
RESEARCH
What Works for Preventing and Stopping Substance Use in Adolescents
May 21, 2008
By Tawana Bandy, B.S., and Kristin A. Moore, Ph.D., Child Trends
Research indicates that about 80 percent of teens have begun to drink alcohol and 50 percent have used an illegal drug by their senior year in high school. This Child Trends Fact Sheet reviews evaluated programs that focus on adolescent substance abuse. The fact sheet also includes a table that shows whether the evaluated programs were found to work, not proven to work, or had mixed findings. Click here to view the report.
RESEARCH
What Works for Adolescent Reproductive Health: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions
May 21, 2008
By Victoria Ball, B.A., and Kristin A. Moore, Ph.D., Child Trends
The reproductive health of adolescents has been, and continues to be, a matter of serious concern. This Child Trends Fact Sheet reviews evaluated programs that focus on adolescent reproductive health. The fact sheet also includes a table that shows whether the evaluated programs were found to work, not proven to work, or had mixed findings. Click here to view the report.
CALIFORNIA
Calif. Legislator Seeks Study of Internet Violence, Access Limits
May 16, 2008
By K.C. Jones, InformationWeek.com
Citing the suicide of a Missouri teen, a California murder, and the videotaped beating of a Florida teen after MySpace taunts and a YouTube "hit list," a California legislator wants social networking sites to limit access by children and to fight violent, criminal, and inappropriate content.
State Assemblyman Pedro Nava announced a resolution this week requesting that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger create a task force on violent and inappropriate Internet content.
"The Internet and the growth of social networking Web sites have brought immeasurable benefits to our country and the world," said Nava, who chairs the California Assembly's Joint Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security, in a statement. "However, when the Internet is used as a tool to spread violent, graphic, and criminal content that children can access, it is unacceptable and should not be tolerated."
Nava said he wants California to set a national example and raise awareness. He cited the case of Megan Meier, a Missouri teen who hanged herself after her friend's mother allegedly posed as a young boy with a romantic interest, then "dumped" her, saying the world would be a better place without her.
Nava gave that as one of three recent examples showing the disastrous consequences of failing to restrict content. His second example was the videotaped beating of a Florida teenager in April by a group of girls who planned to upload the video to the Internet. Nava's third example of the extreme effects of cyberbullying and violent content stems from a case in his own state.
In March, a California youth was murdered after someone posted a video hit list on YouTube. The video was not removed until a Monterey County Herald reporter wrote a story about the murder and contacted YouTube, Nava said.
"As a society we have to ask ourselves how many more victims will it take before we say enough is enough and that we must take collective action to stop this scourge," he said.
NEW YORK
Junior Hunting Bill Passes the Assembly
May 21, 2008
By Dave Henderson, Pressconnects.com
A11033, a bill that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm in New York when accompanied by an adult, was approved by the Assembly and moves to the Senate, where it enjoys plenty of support as A8228.
The legislation has the support of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the governor's office and the New York State Conservation Council but has been vehemently opposed by organized anti-hunting groups that have orchestrated media campaigns against it.
Unlike some other "youth hunting bills" floating around Albany, this one had a chance since it is two-house legislation. One of the other youth hunting bills, S1284, passed the Senate in April but has no Assembly counterpart.
A11033/S8228 provides 14- and 15-year old license holders the ability to hunt big game when accompanied by a person over 21 with at least three years of big game hunting experience. It requires both the youth and mentor to wear hunter orange (minimum hat or vest; orange camouflage being acceptable); the mentor must maintain physical control over the minor at all times (defined as in close physical proximity, and be in constant visual contact and able to issue verbal directions and instructions).
The inclusion of the blaze orange requirement reportedly helped the bill gain the support of many legislators who in the past have not supported lowering the age to hunt big game. The bill specifically prohibits the hunter-mentor from using treestands.
Another aspect of the bill is that it will also allow an adult, with written permission, to take a junior hunter out for small game at the age of 12, not just the parent or legal guardian.
It also allows youths less than 12 years of age to accompany a licensed trapper over 21 years of age, with at least three years of trapping experience, and participate in all aspects of trapping without requiring the youth to be licensed.
If this one passes the Senate and is signed by Gov. Patterson, it takes effect immediately, which means youngsters can be hunting big game this season.
LOUISIANA
Proposed Jetson Closure Clears Hurdle in House
May 30, 2008
By Marsha Shuler, Capitol Correspondent
Legislation that would close the Jetson Center for Youth cleared another hurdle Thursday as a northeast Louisiana lawmaker worried that the move would push more violent juvenile offenders to a facility in her area.
The House Judiciary Committee approved a Senate-passed bill that would move the state toward smaller, more regionally-based facilities for juvenile offenders. The bill now moves to the House floor for debate.
Sen. Don Cravins Jr., D-Opelousas, said that in 2003, the Legislature decided to reform the juvenile justice system at a time when Louisiana had one of the worst juvenile facilities in the nation.
The state closed its troubled juvenile institution in Tallulah, Cravins said. Now Jetson has become “the Tallulah of 2008,” he said.
A move toward regional facilities “to rehabilitate our young people &hellip close to home” was launched, Cravins said. “The last several years movement has been slow.”
Cravins said his Senate Bill 749 is aimed at getting the state back on track.
State Rep. Rosalind Jones, D-Monroe, sought assurances that the Swanson Youth Center at Monroe would not become home to all of Jetson’s violent offenders.
“I don’t want Swanson to become Jetson,” said Jones.
“The last thing we want to do is move Jetson to your area and create big-time problems,” said Office of Youth Development chief Richard Thompson. “We won’t send every violent offender to Monroe. We have to look at places throughout south Louisiana to do that.”
Thompson said his agency is negotiating to have places available throughout Louisiana for violent juvenile offenders.
Under SB749, Jetson — off Old Scenic Highway near Baker — would be shuttered in 2009. It is home to 192 male offenders who range in age from 14 to 20. They are incarcerated for crimes ranging from purse snatching and drug offenses to murder and armed robbery.
Jetson has been plagued by violence with youths fighting each other, reported rapes and guards and juveniles injured during confrontations. The state’s largest juvenile facility has lost its accreditation from the American Correctional Association.
Cravins’ bill sets the wheels in motion for establishing three regional facilities into which Jetson offenders would be transferred as the facility closes, he said.
He said regional facilities would be in Baton Rouge, the Acadiana area and northwest Louisiana.
The facilities could hold no more than 48 youths and dorms within them could house no more than 12 youths, Cravins said.
He said the youths will receive more individual attention, which they need.
“Money would follow the child when they leave Jetson,” he said.
Under the legislation, the state Office of Youth Development would develop a plan to determine “where do we go from here. How many more regional facilities do we need? What community services?” Cravins said.
The Office of Youth Development would become the Office of Juvenile Justice.
Cravins said the special commission dealing with juvenile justice issues needs to hire someone to help it follow up on plans that are being implemented. He said the commission currently has no staff.
The commission was established by Cravins’ father, Don Sr., when he was a state senator.
COLORADO
Youth-written Advisory Bill Becomes Law
May 30, 2008
By Joe Hanel, Herald Denver Bureau
Gov. Bill Ritter signed into law Thursday a bill crafted by students in Southwest Colorado.
Rep. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, sponsored the bill to create a 44-member Youth Advisory Council, which will advise the Legislature on a variety of issues.
"Nearly everything we do in this building affects young people in one way or another. We believe it's only right that young people have a voice and their voices are heard," Ritter said.
High school students from Southwest Colorado helped Roberts write House Bill 1157, along with students from metro Denver.
Students from Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio testified for the bill in front of the House Education Committee in February. Students from Cortez and Pagosa Springs helped write the bill.
Young people from a local youth council in the Denver suburb of Centennial attended the bill signing Thursday.
The council will help both youths and legislators, Roberts said.
"Many of us can point to experiences in our teenage years that helped us see what representative democracy was all about," Roberts said.
Six other states have legislative youth councils, and they have proved to be a source of creative ideas for lawmakers, Roberts said.
Four council members will be legislators, and the rest will be people ages 14 to 19 - one from each of the state's 35 Senate districts, and five from the state at large. Senators will appoint the initial council by Sept. 1. After that, new members will be voted on to the council by other council members.
The group will meet at least four times a year. Members will be volunteers, but legislators set aside $8,472 to cover some of their travel costs.
Roberts planned to meet youth advocates Thursday afternoon to begin setting up the council.
"Now that the bill is signed, we can seek funding from foundations and other donors," Roberts said.
She will get in contact soon with youth groups like 4H, the Farm Bureau and civics clubs to spread the word about the new council.
Legislators ended their yearly session three weeks ago. The youth council should be running by the time the 2009 session starts in January, Roberts said.
"They should be giving input by next session," she said.
MINNESOTA
Blood Donations Bill Signed into Law
May 20, 2008
Huliq.com
State Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL – Mankato, and Rep. Patti Fritz, DFL – Faribault, joined Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota on May 18 as he signed into law new legislation that will allow 16 year old teens in the state to donate blood with the consent of their parent or guardian.
The inspiration for the legislation came from Joe Gibson, a 16-year-old high school student from Blooming Prairie. Joe became involved in the issue after losing his grandfather to leukemia and subsequently trying to donate blood as a way to memorialize his grandfather’s passing. Joe – who was 15 at the time – was prevented from making a blood donation by a state law which restricts anyone under the age of 17 from doing so, even with parental consent.
In an effort to rectify this issue in state law, Joe met with Rep. Fritz to suggest that the minimum age for donation be reduced to 15 years. After Rep. Fritz heard concerns from some pediatricians that 15 might be too young, Joe – showing a keen ability to navigate the political process - agreed to raise the allowable age of donation to 16 in his proposal. Rep. Fritz then teamed with Sen. Sheran to shepherd companion bills through the House and Senate, eventually passing the bills unanimously through both bodies.
Under the new law, 16 year olds will now be able to donate blood, as long as the teen has the written permission of their parent or guardian and does not receive any compensation for the donation. The law will go into effect July 1, 2008.
“Through this process, I have learned that youth can make a difference,” Joe Gibson said. “I have also realized that there are really good people here at the Capitol and that our legislators are working really hard.”
The bill’s authors commended Joe’s efforts in support of the legislation, which Rep. Fritz described as “instrumental” to its passage.
“This bill is about how we listen to our constituents, young and old," said Rep. Fritz. “Joe Gibson is a thoughtful young man who not only wanted to help out his grandfather, but also saw the opportunity for other young adults to become eligible donors and help out blood centers. It is especially gratifying that it moved through both bodies and was signed into law so quickly."
Sen. Sheran added that she hoped Joe’s efforts would inspire more young people to engage in the political process.
“It was an absolute honor to work with Joe, who brought an incredible level of compassion, commitment and enthusiasm to this important issue,” said Sen. Sheran. “Allowing young adults to donate blood with their parent’s consent will help blood centers and emergency management organizations meet the current demand for lifesaving blood products and will foster a commitment to community service among high school students across the state. Joe’s hard work has truly made Minnesota a better place to live.”
The proposal received support from several organizations, including the American Red Cross, Memorial Blood Centers of Minnesota, and the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center. Several states, including California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Puerto Rico already have passed similar legislation.
MARYLAND
New Law Aims to Stop Schoolyard Bullying of Gays
May 23, 2008
By Joshua Lynsen, WashingtonBlade.com
Stephanie Kreps says some people are surprised to learn the extent to which gay students are bullied in Montgomery County schools.
The co-founder of Rainbow Youth Alliance said even in one of Maryland’s most liberal jurisdictions, some students are harassed so aggressively that they drop out of school.
“One boy faced the same bullying at school and in his neighborhood,” she said. “He couldn’t find anywhere he felt safe.”
A new law aims to change that. It bars the harassment of students based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and requires districts to develop bullying prevention programs.
Kreps, who helped start the Rainbow Youth Alliance at Unitarian Universalist Church in Rockville so harassed gay students could have a safe space, welcomed the law.
“If it will save kids, if it will help kids to stay in school, I think it’s a good thing,” she said.
David S. Fishback, a board member of the Metro D.C. chapter of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays, agreed.
“There’s a lot for reasons why it’s important,” he said, “but the main one is it lets our children know that it’s unacceptable to bully, harass or intimidate people based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Fishback, who has two gay sons, said the new law is particularly helpful because it takes the “very, very important step” of requiring schools to develop programs that prevent bullying.
He noted the law also requires schools to investigate reported bullying incidents and set remedial actions for students who break the policy.
“What we all want for our children is safe lives, where we all treat our children with respect and fairness,” Fishback said. “And that’s what Maryland is standing up for.”
Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, said the new law came from “one of the most comprehensive anti-bullying bills in the country.”
“It’s a good, common sense measure,” he said, “and it’s heartening that it really transcended the politics of division by passing in an overwhelming and bipartisan fashion.”
Before being signed into law this month by Gov. Martin O’Malley, the bill was unanimously supported by all 141 state House members. It passed the Senate 37-10.
“It was one of those bills that we worked very hard with the bill sponsor to make sure that it didn’t turn into an LGBT bill, while at the same time making sure that the bill addressed LGBT-centric bullying,” Furmansky said. “And bullying obviously doesn’t just affect the LGBT community, but of course LGBT-questioning youth can be disproportionately victims of harassment in our schools.”
Furmansky, who said he was harassed in school because he’s gay, said the law would make a difference for many gay teens.
“Far too many of us grew up in a culture where our time in school was like navigating a minefield of hostility, simply because we were perceived to be gay, maybe before we even knew it ourselves,” he said. “The ways in which this sort of toxic environment informs the rest of our lives constantly unfolds, and this culture of violence, forced conformity and intimidation flies in the face of a civilized society.”
Fishback said the law, which requires schools to publicize their anti-bullying policies, would empower gay students.
“By bringing it out into the open and making it safer for kids to complain if they’re getting hassled,” he said, “in the long run, it makes for a better environment than kids cowering in the corner.”
According to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, Maryland is the 11th state to enact an anti-bullying law based on sexual harassment, and the seventh to include protections based on gender identity.
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