Thumbs up: Bill to make insurance companies cover HPV vaccine costs
Oregon legislators have proposed a bill that would mandate that insurance companies cover the cost of HPV vaccines. Women have an 80 percent chance of being infected by HPV, which is linked to cervical cancer (which killed 41 Oregon women last year), by the time they are 50 years old. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved HPV vaccinations for women between the ages of 9 and 26 in 2006, but many insurance companies don’t cover HPV shots. If passed, House Bill 2794 will ensure that Oregon women have access to this important vaccine and therefore improve the health and wellness of thousands of Oregon women.
Thumbs down: Republicans threaten to filibuster Obama nominees if administration releases Bush-era torture memos
According to recent reports, Republicans are promising to filibuster President Barack Obama’s legal appointments if he releases Bush-era torture documents, asking for a commitment to safeguard the documents in exchange for letting his nominations go forward. Sources claim these threats are the main reason the Obama administration abruptly declined last week to release some of the documents. Obama has repeatedly promised transparency, such as with his directive requiring enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act and criticism of the Bush administration’s preparing secret memos to determined legal policy. The Republicans’ actions to stifle this transparency, which border on blackmail, are alarming, but the appearance that Obama may give in to them is even more so.
Thumbs up: Texas bill to expand definition of college hazing, protect those who come forward
A new bill in the Texas Senate seeks to expand the definition of college hazing, and protect people who approach authorities to inform on hazing-related activities. Under the bill, the law would define forced consumption of drugs or alcohol as hazing and grant immunity to people who report hazing to police or college administrations, even if they were involved. While many members of Texas university Greek systems are criticizing the bill as harsh and ineffective, the bill goes a long way to prevent the hazing deaths that occasionally crop up during rushes. However, while making the forced consumption of drugs and alcohol illegal has reduced a few of the potential options for hazers, it may open the door for more creative and hopefully less dangerous forms of humiliation.
Thumbs down: Administration’s role in ASUO elections appears too influential
This week’s decision by the ASUO Elections Board to remove Oregon Action Team’s executive ticket from the general election ballot was certainly not without controversy. Whether or not we agree with the board’s ruling, the more important issue involves the role of the University administration in elections procedures. While it is certainly appropriate for the elections board to consult with the vice president for student affairs and the General Counsel, both the elections board and the student body as a whole must be vigilant to make sure the ASUO elections remain run by students. All ASUO candidates should be able to agree that having Johnson Hall direct the conduct of ASUO elections is a very dangerous precedent for student representation.
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