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Lawmaker urges Legislature to declare maternal deaths a public health emergency; committee voluntarily defers resolution
Summary
A lawmaker urged the Legislature to adopt a concurrent resolution declaring maternal deaths a public health emergency, citing department data that 94% of such deaths are preventable; the committee agreed to voluntarily defer the measure by unanimous consent.
A lawmaker urged the state Legislature to pass a concurrent resolution declaring maternal deaths a public health emergency, saying "those deaths, 94 percent, according to the department's own data, are preventable." The lawmaker said the resolution would elevate the issue so it can become a priority for state action.
The lawmaker told the committee the measure would ask the department to "create a framework, a plan for coordination, oversight, and accountability," and asked the Legislature to participate in that oversight. He cited a legislative auditor's report and said existing oversight has not corrected the problems that lead to preventable deaths.
During the committee meeting, a committee member asked the chair to voluntarily defer the bill to a later meeting, noting floor time constraints and that some plans are already underway. The chair said that Representative Jackson had made a motion to voluntarily defer the bill and asked if there were any objections. "Hearing none, it's voluntarily deferred," the chair said, and then moved to adjourn the meeting.
The measure was deferred by unanimous consent; no roll-call vote was recorded and no further action was scheduled in the transcript.
