LEGAL ACTION CENTER

Need-to-Know News: July 12-16, 2010

July 16, 2010

The work of LAC's state policy director, Tracie M. Gardner, is featured in the spring 2010 issue of Achieve magazine! Kudos to Tracie, who co-wrote "The Testing Debate: Is Written Consent a Barrier?" with Daryl J. Cochrane.

State

In a victory for New Yorkers' civil liberties, Gov. David Paterson signed a bill today eliminating a database of stop-and-frisk data, over the objection of New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
After years of criticism over safety issues, the state agreed to vast changes and federal oversight for four its most dangerous and troubled youth prisons.
New York nonprofits began to worry about a proposal to limit tax deductions on donations by wealthy residents, which passed the Assembly this month.
Gov. Paterson sent lawmakers a revised revenue bill, but they rejected it, leaving the state budget unfinished. Meanwhile, a poll found that 47 percent of voters statewide gave the Legislature an "F" for its budget work this year.
Advocates considering New York City's budget, which passed late last month, noted the sense of relief at only $60 million in cuts to human services as an indication of the dire financial picture.

National

The White House unveiled its long-awaited national H.I.V./AIDS strategy, and advocates began to turn their attention to implementation.
A federal study found that one in eight visits to emergency rooms -- 12 million in 2007 alone -- had to do with mental disorders, a substance use disorder, or both, highlighting the need for the kind of strong preventive care outlined in the new federal healthcare law.
Drug use is on the rise among Americans age 50 and older, according to a new SAMHSA report.

BronxWorks announced a new Supportive Services program for people living with H.I.V./AIDS, including group and individual psycho-social support sessions, health education/risk reduction sessions, and supportive case management.
The Bronx H.I.V. CARE Network has a general membership meeting coming up: Wednesday, July 28, at 10 a.m. at the Montefiore Medical Center (Cherkasky Auditorium).