Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING..
E-mail: mailbox@governing.comTwitter: @governing
Politics
The Inside Story
Schwarzenegger rejects plan to scan bodies for danger signs.
When states seek to identify environmental hazards, they normally look to air and water. But the California legislature this year proposed taking a different approach: examining the human body.
California would have been the first state to employ biomonitoring, which is already used by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the measure in October. The rationale behind biomonitoring is that knowing the levels of chemicals in people, such as mercury or lead, can inform environmental laws and public health priorities. "It provides a scientific basis to do some more regulation," says Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, Health Committee chair and a supporter of the legislation.
The proposal would have sampled bodily fluids from Californians around the state. Besides giving policy makers a picture of what chemicals reside in the average Californian, advocates hoped the biomonitoring regimen would identify environmental threats that are facing particular groups of people, such as agricultural workers.
The Health Committee's ranking Republican, Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian, opposed the bill, as did the majority of his party's members in the legislature. He says that he doesn't object to the concept of biomonitoring but that he voted against the bill because it did not require the state to assess the health implications of its findings, a concern echoed by Schwarzenegger in explaining his veto. "It opens the door for speculation and hypothesis," Aghazarian says.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for updates.
Twitter: @governing
Latest from Politics
- Fact vs. Fiction: Arkansas' Game-Changing Medicaid Expansion Plan
- A lot of information is floating around about the state's first-of-its-kind plan to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. Arkansas' Medicaid director sets the record straight.
- Behind Maryland Gov. O' Malley's Political Risk to Push Gun Control
- After the mass shootings at a Newtown, Conn., elementary schools, Martin O’Malley wanted to attempt something no state had attempted to enact in nearly two decades.
- Connecticut Gov. Malloy: NRA CEO is Like a Clown
- Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy went on the attack against NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, saying that he "reminds me of the clowns at the circus - that's what he's paid to do."
- Oil and Gas Bills Pit Legislature vs. Governor in Colorado
- For Gov. Hickenlooper, who supports oil and gas development, the Democrat-sponsored and -supported bills create a dilemma.
- Gay Marriage Opponents Lose Ballot-Title Battle in Oregon
- The Oregon attorney general's office isn't buying an attempt by gay marriage opponents to radically rewrite the ballot title for a proposed initiative that would allow same-sex marriages in Oregon.
GOVERNING Data
- Gay Marriage States Map
- Map shows state laws legalizing or prohibiting gay marriage and civil unions.
- 2012 Population Estimates for Metro Areas
- Public Transit Agency Ridership Statistics
- Average Tax Refund by State
- Which Services Are Citizens Most, Least Satisfied With?
- 2013 State of the State Speeches Word Cloud
Events & Webinars
- It’s A Paperless, Paperless World..... Thinking Outside the Box to Gain Efficiencies through Prepaid Cards
- April 23, 2013
- Public sector organizations are under intense scrutiny to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible and with maximum transparency. An important consideration is the way in which payments are made and managed. Prepaid cards can offer flexibility, security and accountability to governments as a method of dispersing benefits, healthcare and social care payments, child benefits and housing benefits to their constituents.
- GOVERNING - Michigan Leadership Forum 2013
- May 1, 2013
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Flickr
RSS
© 2011 e.Republic, Inc. All Rights reserved. |