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Louisiana’s Murrill files lawsuit to protect Title IX, female athletes | Louisiana

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Steve Wilson | The Center Square – 2024-04-29 14:06:00

(The Center Square) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Monday she is leading a lawsuit with Mississippi, Montana and Idaho to fight the Biden Administration’s new Title IX rules.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Western Louisiana, seeks the overturn of the rules on constitutional grounds, an injunction preventing the administration from enforcing Title IX “in accordance with erroneous interpretation” in the rule and attorney fees and court costs. 

The lawsuit says the rule is a “a naked attempt to strong-arm our schools into molding our children in the current federal government’s preferred image of how a child should think, act and speak. The Final Rule is an affront to the dignity of families and school administrators everywhere and is nowhere close to legal.”

The lawsuit also says the new rule will “gut the very essence of Title IX and destroy decades of advances in equal educational opportunities, especially for women and girls.”

“With the stroke of a pen and 400 pages of rules written by would-be lawmakers in Washington, D.C. conference rooms, the DOE published Title IX regulations intended to remake American societal norms through classrooms, lunchrooms, bathrooms and locker rooms of American schools,” Murrill said at a Monday news conference with Gov. Jeff Landry. “Make no mistake: These rules eviscerate Title IX. They are entirely contrary to what Title IX was intended to achieve and what we have implemented and intended Title IX to mean and protect for 50 years.

“Title IX was intended to prevent pervasive discrimination against biological women.”

She also said the federal government’s overreach was like a degree and dimension “like no other.” 

“Whatever lever, whatever power the governor’s office has or the statutes vest in me, we will 100% be standing behind this Legislature, this attorney general and behind the BESE board because we do not intend to comply,” Landry said. “We are not going to pretend there is some kind of sexual category other than the ones the Almighty has set forth. There’s only two of them. We look forward to this fight because this fight is right.”

Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley, who was flanked by some members of the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said that this was a “line in the sand issue and a bridge too far for the state of Louisiana” and voiced his support for the lawsuit. 

Title IX prohibits educational institutions that receive federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex in both educational programs and activities.

The new rules finalized by the Department of Education and which are supposed to go into effect Aug. 1. expand the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity and pregnancy, but the agency didn’t issue any rules relating to transgender athletes. Among the changes include a prohibition on single-sex bathroom and locker rooms and requirements that a school use pronouns based on a student’s preferred gender identity. 

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News from the South - North Carolina News Feed

Helene: Insurance company complaints few, though coverages eye-opening | North Carolina

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www.thecentersquare.com – By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor – 2024-11-22 11:13:00

SUMMARY: North Carolina regulators have not received many complaints about insurance companies denying claims after Hurricane Helene, according to the state’s insurance commissioner spokesman, Jason Tyson. However, homeowners are discovering that damage types like flood and mudslides may not be covered by their policies. Disputes also arise over whether damage was caused by wind or flood. Tyson emphasized the lack of flood insurance among homeowners and noted that mudslide coverage is uncommon. The state insurance office offers mediation services for disputed claims at no cost to consumers. They encourage homeowners to call for assistance regarding denied claims.

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News from the South - Arkansas News Feed

Legislation introduced to reduce prescription drug shortages | Virginia

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Sarah Roderick-Fitch | The Center Square – 2024-11-22 09:29:00

SUMMARY: A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced the End Drug Shortages Act to address prescription drug shortages that negatively impact patient care. Introduced by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Tom Cotton, alongside Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Adrian Smith, the legislation aims to enhance communication between drug manufacturers, the FDA, and pharmacies. As of September, there are 275 active drug shortages listed by the FDA. The bill will require manufacturers to notify the FDA of surges in demand and ensure that guidelines for pharmacies are updated based on current research. The legislation is supported by various health care providers and associations.

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Audit finds several deficiencies in Louisiana government financial reporting | Louisiana

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Jacob Mathews | The Center Square – 2024-11-22 08:00:00

SUMMARY: The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office reported multiple financial deficiencies in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 across various agencies. The Louisiana Department of Health’s Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund mismanaged $855,606 in federal funds, while the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness approved over $19 million in improper reimbursements. Additionally, $2.5 million was reimbursed without documentation. Local agencies, including the city of Bogalusa, misused ARPA funds for employee bonuses totaling $468,125. Fraud also occurred in Mamou due to a business email compromise, resulting in a loss of $226,330, and Calcasieu Parish Waterworks District lost $481,439 due to misappropriation of payments.

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