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Monday, February 17, 2025

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N.Y.C. Council speaker calls on Mayor Eric Adams to resign; KY could do more to protect kids from accidental drug ingestion, shootings; OH food banks face fed funding uncertainty, DeWine budget cuts; Protesters say Trump administration actions 'cast aside democracy.'

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On a Middle East visit, Sen. Richard Blumenthal rejects a Gaza takeover. President's Day protests erupt around the country against White House moves, and another aviation accident draws attention to recent FAA cuts.

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Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Dismantling DEIA initiatives may harm PA disability rights

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Monday, February 3, 2025   

For Pennsylvanians with disabilities, there may be unexpected side effects to ending so-called Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility policies.

President Donald Trump has opted to eliminate DEIA initiatives in federal agencies and federally funded programs.

His executive order signed in January characterizes DEIA policies as "discriminatory."

But in Pennsylvania, Mallory Hudson - the director of the disability justice program at the Keystone Progress Education Fund - said a memo went out ordering the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to not file any new complaints, motions to intervene, agreed upon remands, amicus briefs, or statements of interest.

"That means that the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division has been instructed not to file any new civil rights cases, right?" said Hudson. "And that includes ADA complaints. So, those are - that is one of the few ways that disabled people can even protect their civil rights."

She adds the Americans with Disabilities Act was first passed in 1990 under President George H.W. Bush, and its legal precedent was based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Hudson said another potential concern is the future of the Inflation Reduction Act under the new administration.

She noted that the IRA has allowed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to negotiate drug prices - and many are benefiting from its progress, like a $35 co-pay for insulin.

"Older adults and some folks with disabilities have been able to do that $35 copay, and for folks on disability, that's still a pretty big chunk of change," said Hudson. "But it was better than before - and then, that meant taxpayers were paying the difference."

Lower prices have been negotiated for 10 medications so far, cutting costs for patients and saving taxpayers billions.

It's estimated that if the IRA had been enacted in 2023, it would have slashed prescription drug spending by 22% - or roughly $6 billion.


Disclosure: Keystone Progress contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Energy Policy, Environment, Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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