This Week’s Lawsuit
We were sued this week by a group of same-gender couples in Arizona- challenging Arizona's ban on gay marriage. The lawsuit challenges Arizona's marriage criteria which excludes same-gender couples from marriage. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix by seven same-gender couples and two people whose partners had died. We haven't analyzed all of the details of [...]
Improving Arizona’s Birth Outcomes
Arizona ranks in the middle of the pack in infant mortality. We’re doing many things right to improve the health of our babies- but we have a way to go. Last fall we participated in a learning collaborative sponsored by the National Governors Association. About 160 folks met to begin the process developing a statewide plan. They included physicians, public [...]
Weigh in on Arizona’s Maternal & Child Health Block Grant
Our Women’s and Children’s Health team administers the AZ federal maternal Child Health Block Grant. This grant is authorized through Title V of the Social Security Act and has been in place since 1935. Every 5 years we look at the health and well-being of Arizona’s women and children and develop our top priorities based on identified needs. We’re getting [...]
Planned Parenthood v. Humble
We were served Wednesday with a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from our new Abortion Clinic Regulations that are scheduled to go into effect on April 1. The new regulations were in response to HB 2036, which was passed and signed during the 2012 legislative session… tasking us with several things related to the regulation of abortions. Among them was a requirement [...]
Licensing & Rulemaking
Our Licensing & Rulemaking teams have spent the past two years working with numerous associations and stakeholders from various licensed facilities as part of our regulatory reform initiative. The last legislative session extended our “exempt” rulemaking authority through April of 2014. This gave us the unique opportunity to live with the new rules for a little while to find out what [...]
It’s Farmer’s Market Season in AZ
March 1 was the kickoff of the new Arizona Farmers’ Market Nutrition season for women and children who participate in the AZ Women, Infants and Children program. WIC participants are beginning to receive their Farmers’ Market checks to spend for fresh, locally grown, fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets. WIC moms and their kids receive $30 worth of Arizona Farmers’ [...]