Foundations
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from U.S. foundations.
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Statement From Richard Besser, MD, on Proposed Changes to USDA School Meal Nutrition Standards
PRINCETON, New Jersey, March 20 -- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation issued the following statement by President and CEO Richard Besser in response to the Agriculture Department proposed rule on school meal nutrition standards:
"During this health crisis, we are seeing--perhaps more than ever--the importance of healthy school meals. At least 95,000 schools serving more than 43 million children across the United States have closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. But states and school districts are acting heroically to ensure that children still receive healthy, nutritious meals every day.
"We
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PRINCETON, New Jersey, March 20 -- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation issued the following statement by President and CEO Richard Besser in response to the Agriculture Department proposed rule on school meal nutrition standards:
"During this health crisis, we are seeing--perhaps more than ever--the importance of healthy school meals. At least 95,000 schools serving more than 43 million children across the United States have closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. But states and school districts are acting heroically to ensure that children still receive healthy, nutritious meals every day.
"Weapplaud the U.S. Department of Agriculture for giving states and schools the flexibility and resources to do so. Students depend on school meals to keep them healthy and to give them a better chance at succeeding in the classroom. This is especially true for the more than 20 million children who receive free or reduced-price meals. For them, school meals may be their primary or even sole source of good nutrition. Maintaining access to them is more than simply a convenience; it is a lifeline.
"Yet even while recognizing the value of school meals during this extraordinarily difficult time, USDA is still moving forward with a proposal, first issued in January, to make school meals permanently less healthy. Under USDA's proposal, schools would be allowed to serve less fruit, fewer whole grains, fewer varieties of vegetables, and more starchy vegetables. Foods like pizza and cheeseburgers could be served more often without being required to meet nutrition standards.
"That just doesn't make sense.
"A new analysis just released from Healthy Eating Research examining the projected impact of these changes shows that this proposal could have a detrimental impact on academic performance and kids' health. The students who would be most impacted by these changes are those from low-income families attending schools in African-American and rural neighborhoods. These are among the students already at highest risk for obesity and related health conditions.
"School meals nutrition standards were updated nearly a decade ago, and the results have been an unqualified success. USDA's own research shows that the updated standards have significantly improved the nutrition content of school meals, with student participation in meal programs highest in schools that serve the healthiest meals.
"USDA is helping millions of students get through a really hard time. We encourage the department to apply that same mindset to students' health and education over the long-term. Weakening school nutrition standards does not solve problems; it creates them. We sincerely hope USDA reconsiders this misguided rule."
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About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit http://www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at http://www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at http://www.rwjf.org/facebook.
Right to Work Foundation Asks NLRB to Enforce Cannabis Industry Workers' Rights Against State Schemes to Force Them Into Union Ranks
WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation issued the following news release:
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- Several states are attempting to use industry licensing as a pretense to impose forced union dues on workers in violation of federal labor law
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The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation called on National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Peter Robb to take action to protect workers subjected to forced unionism schemes interfering with workers' rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) through state licensing requirements showing up in states.
A
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WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation issued the following news release:
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- Several states are attempting to use industry licensing as a pretense to impose forced union dues on workers in violation of federal labor law
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The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation called on National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Peter Robb to take action to protect workers subjected to forced unionism schemes interfering with workers' rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) through state licensing requirements showing up in states.
Aletter from Foundation Vice President and Legal Director Raymond LaJeunesse, Jr. seeks to bring the General Counsel's attention to a "disturbing trend in state licensing regulation that, if left unchecked, will cause permanent damage to employees' fundamental Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act."
The letter highlights how several states have already enacted schemes that infringe on the rights of employees in the medicinal cannabis industry. In New Jersey, for example, the law requires "a private sector employer to enter into a union bargaining agreement within 200 days of commencing operations" or forfeit their license to do business. Such a requirement does not allow employees to decide whether or not they would like to be represented by a union, a clear violation of their rights under the NLRA.
Other states like California and New York require cannabis employers to enter into so-called "labor peace agreements" (LPAs) as a condition of maintaining their license. These agreements violate workers' privacy and also threaten their right to freely choose whether or not to join a union. In other states, including Pennsylvania and Illinois, state officials will give more "points" to cannabis license applicants who have LPAs, which is effectively preferential treatment for those businesses which have already chosen a union for their employees to work under. The states enacting these schemes have acted at the behest of several national labor unions, with the United Food and Commercial Workers being on the forefront of these forced unionism efforts.
The letter calls on the NLRB to act against these state and local governments whose regulations infringe on the rights of employees to join or not join labor organizations, and lays out the clear legal arguments that support challenging laws that violate the limited employee rights under the NLRA. It points out that such schemes are "directly contrary to the NLRA's core principle that 'under Section 9(a), the rule is that the employees pick the union; the union does not pick the employees.'"
In 2019, New Jersey amended its medicinal cannabis laws, requiring license applicants to sign "labor peace agreements." According to the amended law, applicants must maintain and comply with an LPA as a condition of keeping their license. In addition, these private sector employers are forced to sign monopoly bargaining agreements within 200 days of opening, and if they do not, they lose the right to do business in the state. Essentially, the letter points out, "the state pressures employees to sign up for unionization solely to keep their employers afloat."
Furthermore, the Foundation points out how New Jersey indirectly imposes monopoly representation on workers by giving priority to license applicants that already have agreements with union officials or who promise to use their "best efforts to utilize union labor in the construction or retrofit of the facilities associated with the permitted entity."
The letter also points out that the NLRB has the clear authority to take action against such state activity that threatens the rights guaranteed to workers by the NLRA.
"The NLRB is tasked with protecting the rights of workers across the nation, including their right not to be coerced into union ranks. Our letter to NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb shows the pressing need for the agency to step in and take action against states and local governments who have passed laws that infringe on the rights of workers by mandating these businesses hand over their workers to union forced dues ranks," said National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix.
"Absent swift action from the NLRB to challenge these state laws that fly in the face of the National Labor Relations Act, you can be certain that Big Labor allied politicians across the country will soon seek to force workers in other states or industries into union forced dues ranks under the auspices of occupational licensing."
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in more than 250 cases nationwide per year.
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky: Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow - Legislature Adopts Tobacco 21 Bill
FRANKFORT, Kentucky, March 20 -- Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky issued the following news release on March 19:
Kentucky's House of Representatives adopted "tobacco 21" legislation; the bill already passed the Senate and will soon be headed to Gov. Beshear's desk. Senate Bill 56 would conform Kentucky statutes to the new federal law raising the legal age to purchase all tobacco products to 21; the bill also would remove status offense and other penalties on youth who purchase, use or possess tobacco products. Following is a statement from the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow:
"Today, the
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FRANKFORT, Kentucky, March 20 -- Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky issued the following news release on March 19:
Kentucky's House of Representatives adopted "tobacco 21" legislation; the bill already passed the Senate and will soon be headed to Gov. Beshear's desk. Senate Bill 56 would conform Kentucky statutes to the new federal law raising the legal age to purchase all tobacco products to 21; the bill also would remove status offense and other penalties on youth who purchase, use or possess tobacco products. Following is a statement from the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow:
"Today, theKentucky General Assembly took a crucial step to publicly recognize that tobacco products are extremely harmful, especially for our youth whose developing brains are particularly susceptible to nicotine," said Ben Chandler, chair of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow, which comprises more than 225 Kentucky organizations working to reduce tobacco use in the Commonwealth. "While smoking among our youth has been declining for decades, e-cigarette use has exploded the past three years. In 2019, more than 53,000 high school students and 27,000 middle schoolers in Kentucky were using e-cigarette, or 'vaping.' Removing the penalties is about improving health as well because inserting kids into our judicial system for these types of offenses leads to worse health outcomes. Congratulations to the Kentucky legislature, and to Sen. Ralph Alvarado, for their work to protect our youth from tobacco."
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About the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow
The Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow is committed to its mission of improving Kentucky's health by protecting Kentuckians from secondhand smoke and other tobacco emissions, and by reducing the high rate of smoking and tobacco use in the Commonwealth. For more information, please visit http://www.smokefreetomorrow.org.
The Coalition is led by representatives of the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Baptist Health, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Humana, Kentucky Cancer Foundation, Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Kentucky Council of Churches, Kentucky Equal Justice Center, Kentucky Health Collaborative, Kentucky Health Departments Association, Kentucky Hospital Association, Kentucky Medical Association, Kentucky Nurses Association, Kentucky School Boards Association, Kentucky Voices for Health, and Kentucky Youth Advocates. Other partners and members of the Coalition represent a broad array of more than 210 groups, including Kentucky business leaders, health advocates, health care providers and payers, educators, and faith community leaders.
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky Statement: Mental Health First Aid Bill Will Increase Training, Reduce Stigma
FRANKFORT, Kentucky, March 20 -- Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky issued the following news release:
A bill (House Bill 153) to establish a Kentucky Mental Health First Aid Training Program has passed the General Assembly and is on its way to the Governor's desk. HB 153 would help address the high rates of frequent mental distress, depression, suicide and drug deaths in the Commonwealth by training more persons to recognize the symptoms of a mental health or substance use disorder or crisis, provide initial assistance and refer individuals to appropriate professional help.Following is a statement
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FRANKFORT, Kentucky, March 20 -- Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky issued the following news release:
A bill (House Bill 153) to establish a Kentucky Mental Health First Aid Training Program has passed the General Assembly and is on its way to the Governor's desk. HB 153 would help address the high rates of frequent mental distress, depression, suicide and drug deaths in the Commonwealth by training more persons to recognize the symptoms of a mental health or substance use disorder or crisis, provide initial assistance and refer individuals to appropriate professional help.Following is a statementfrom the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
"We often fear what we don't understand, and what we can't fix," said Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky "It's scary to stand by and watch someone suffer. So, we turn away. But if we knew more, we could do more. The Kentucky Mental Health First Aid Training Program is like CPR training for mental health issues. CPR teaches bystanders to step in when someone isn't breathing, or their heart has stopped, until professional help arrives. Mental Health First Aid training gives bystanders tools to recognize a problem, intervene safely and point the person to the help they need. It can help prevent suicides, overdoses and other self-harm, and may even keep those who suffer with these issues from harming others. We applaud Rep. Kim Moser for her leadership in bringing this bill forward, and the General Assembly for recognizing its critical importance in increasing the number of trained persons in Kentucky and reducing the stigma of mental illness and substance use."
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About the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky
Funded by an endowment, the mission of the nonpartisan Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is to address the unmet health needs of Kentuckians by developing and influencing policy, improving access to care, reducing health risks and disparities, and promoting health equity. Since the Foundation opened its doors in 2001, it has invested more than $29 million in health policy research, advocacy, and demonstration project grants across the Commonwealth. Follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and visit our website at http://www.healthy-ky.org.
Buckeye Institute: New U.S. Fish & Wildlife Rule Will Help Rein In Overcriminalization
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 20 -- The Buckeye Institute issued the following news release:
Andrew J. Geisler, a visiting legal fellow with The Buckeye Institute's Legal Center, filed public comments on Thursday in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposed regulatory clarification that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act's criminal conduct and penalty provisions apply only to those intentionally harming migratory birds. This proposed clarification will help rein in overcriminalization.
Citing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Geisler pointed out the text of the Act makes it clear that only "intentional
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 20 -- The Buckeye Institute issued the following news release:
Andrew J. Geisler, a visiting legal fellow with The Buckeye Institute's Legal Center, filed public comments on Thursday in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposed regulatory clarification that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act's criminal conduct and penalty provisions apply only to those intentionally harming migratory birds. This proposed clarification will help rein in overcriminalization.
Citing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Geisler pointed out the text of the Act makes it clear that only "intentionalefforts to harm migratory birds qualify for the Act's criminal penalties." Despite the clear understanding of the text of the law, a legal opinion issued in the final weeks of the Obama administration recognized incidental harms as crimes under the law, "threatening up to six months in jail and a $15,000 penalty for each and every bird injured or killed."
As Geisler outlined, these Obama era changes eliminated a mens rea requirement, which ensured "we only impose criminal sanctions on individuals who break the law on purpose." Quoting Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.--who memorably said, "even a dog distinguishes between being stumbled over and being kicked"--Geisler said these mens rea requirements--which The Buckeye Institute has long championed--are "fundamental to our scheme of criminal law."
This Fish and Wildlife proposed clarification "would simply ensure that individuals and industry would not face up to six months in jail and up to $15,000 in fines merely because they stumbled over the dog by engaging in otherwise lawful conduct..."
