Southeast
Tennessee law triggers anxiety for school nurses who fear they could lose license for treating students
Some school nurses and other education officials in Tennessee say a new law requiring parental consent before rendering medical or psychological treatment to students has left them scratching their heads in need of clarity.
The new Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act bars government entities or health care providers from treating, operating on, diagnosing, offering prescriptions or rendering psychological counseling to children without first obtaining parental consent, except in emergency situations.
“A violation of this practice is an unlawful practice and is grounds for the offending healthcare provider’s licensing authority to suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew the healthcare provider’s license or take other disciplinary action allowed by law,” the law’s text reads.
The measure went into effect in July, just in time for the start of the 2024-2025 school year, leading some nurses to wonder to what extent they can tend to students in non-emergency situations without facing consequences.
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According to local reports, nurses are concerned that the definition of an “emergency” situation is not clearly defined. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“School nurses in particular – they weren’t consulted on this,” JC Bowman, CEO of the Professional Educators of Tennessee, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
In his capacity, Bowman represents and interacts with nurses, teachers, and other members of the education community across the Volunteer State. He believes there are good components of the bill, but some areas need work.
“There’s a nursing shortage right now, and a couple of nurses that I have talked to… one of the things that they were telling me is, ‘Look I can go right over to HCA and make $100,000. One of them actually left and went to the VA is making like $116,000, and she said ’I’m not doing this anymore’ [working as a school nurse],” he said.
“But they come in and become school nurses, and they love the kids. They love the reason for doing it and coming there, but what you’re going to see, I think, is the trickle-down effect, where nurses and particular guidance counselors as well, even teachers, are going to start walking away from the field because they don’t want to make a mistake… they don’t want to inadvertently do something, and then all of a sudden, they’re in serious trouble and involved in the court system.”
Bowman said he knows other nurses who are looking to leave as well.
Without specific guidelines regarding what constitutes an emergency under the law as it is written, some wonder whether simple measures like offering a student a Band-Aid for a bleeding wound is a step too far and could have repercussions.
State Sen. Ferrell Haile, a Republican who sponsored the bill, could not be reached for comment in time for publication, but previously told FOX 17 in Nashville he doesn’t believe concerns that nurses could have their licenses pulled will “play out.”
“What we’re looking at is the best interest of the child. Nurses in schools have the best interest of the child,” he said.
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A school nurse talks with a student who doesn’t feel well. Several states have laws requiring parental permission for non-emergency treatment. (Jack Milton/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Haile also said the legislation aimed to put parents in control of their child’s physical and mental health treatments at school, and he is open to changing the law if more questions emerge, the report stated.
State Rep. Jeremy Faison, another Republican, also spoke positively of the bill, saying it “puts into law that parents truly have the right for the direction of their children and their life.”
Another local outlet said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee noted that changes to the law may be warranted.
“You see that happen in the General Assembly a lot,” Lee said. “There will be a law passed. The next year, there will be an adjustment made to that law. The next year, there may be another adjustment, because anticipating every outcome is not always possible.”
As of now, parents have to sign a waiver, so their child can receive non-emergency care at school.
The same report quoted the Tennessee Association of School Nurses Executive Board as calling for changes to that policy, writing in part, “Our recommendation for lawmakers would be to change the language from active consent to an option to opt out.”
Republican State Rep. Kevin Raper, who also co-sponsored the bill, however, believes the wording is fine as is.
“I’m content with how it’s worded. Sometimes you can say too much, and then it opens yourself to all kinds of litigation,” he said, according to WRCB in Chattanooga.
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lee said some changes to the parental consent law may be warranted, according to local outlets. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The law also protects parental oversight in other ways, such as requiring consent before any storing of a child’s biometric data (e.g. data on facial expressions, blood volume, posture, and other physiological observations) or consent before a government entity makes a video or audio recording of their child, but Bowman says there’s also a problem with the lattermost part for ELL (English language learner) students.
“[Videos are a] part of when you check a kid when they come here for English fluency to see if they mastered it. You stay in ELL instruction until you can master certain words and everything else. When we take that test, we record the child to make sure that… you have proof that that child has mastered that language,” he explained.
“They actually had to have a specially-called meeting on how to deal with this on ELL kids because they’re afraid they’re in conflict with state law now because the federal law says you have to do this, but the state law says you have to have parental permission.”
If the children’s parents don’t speak English, it creates another problem with getting consent forms read and signed as needed.
Bowman made clear, however, that he doesn’t disagree with the bill entirely.
“We support parent rights. We want parents engaged in their child’s education at every level,” he said.
Other states currently have laws requiring parental consent before school officials can render medical treatment for minor issues, including Florida, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, Iowa and Arizona.
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Southeast
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home could be closed as election nears, with Palm Beach mayor citing safety concerns
The major road next to former President Donald Trump’s home in Florida has been shut down for nearly a month, with only limited access. It could likely lead to the closing of the Mar-a-Lago resort as social season begins on the island and as the pivotal 2024 election gets closer.
Secret Service shut down South Ocean Boulevard a week after the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Butler, Penn. The road closure has led to safety concerns from local residents, whether it be for first responders, caregivers, typical daily traffic and even those worried about other potential violent acts that could be carried out near Trump’s residence.
Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore said that as long as South Ocean Boulevard was closed as the social season begins, then Trump’s resort might as well be closed.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is seen in Palm Beach, Florida. (REUTERS/Marco Bello)
The road was shut down on July 20 to protect both the sprawling club and the former president himself. It’s scheduled to be closed through the Nov. 5 election.
Council Member Julie Araskog asked during the town’s council meeting Tuesday what would be done about the road once the social season picks up during the fall.
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“In my mind, if the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed,” the mayor responded. “There’s no way in God’s green earth that they can bring 350 people into that club. It’s completely illogical that you’ve got a road closed and then you’re going to let 350 strangers into your club.”
Security stands on the perimeter of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, Monday, April 3, 2023, in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump is traveling to New York for his Tuesday arraignment on charges related to hush money payments. ((AP Photo/Evan Vucci))
The mayor and her fellow council members, town staff and residents at the meeting all agreed that none of them wanted anything to happen to Trump, and that politics played no role in their thinking, the Palm Beach Post reported.
“However, you can’t have it both ways, boys and girls,” Moore said. “Either the club’s open or not.”
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The current closure affects the road near Mar-a-Lago 24 hours a day, seven days a week at least through the election whether Trump is there or not, the Post reported. When Trump was president, South Ocean Boulevard near the club was only closed when he was in Palm Beach.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) hold a press conference at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on April 12, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. They spoke about “election integrity,” which has been one of the former president’s top issues. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The road closure has caused headaches for locals and tourists just trying to get around the island. Delivery drivers are forced to take routes that could make a 10-minute drive now an hour-long venture. Big fire trucks have to navigate around traffic and barricades, as do ambulances and law enforcement vehicles.
“There’s a serpentine, there’s a gauntlet that we have to run,” Palm Beach Fire Rescue Chief Sean Baker said at the council meeting.
Council member Araskog said she’s received calls from residents who wish they felt safer during this time.
“Our residents don’t feel safe right now,” Araskog said.
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Scott Bloomquist, a Dirt Late Model racing legend and Hall of Famer, was tragically killed in a plane crash near his home in Tennessee, according to multiple reports. He was 60.
Local authorities confirmed to The Rogersville Review that Bloomquist died in a small aircraft crash near his home in Mooresburg early Friday morning.
Scott Bloomquist, Ford Mustang driver, after practice for the 16th Annual Grassy Smith Memorial 50-lap Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series event at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina. (David Allio/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department could not confirm any details of the reported crash to Fox News Digital, but the Hawkins County Rescue Squad shared an update on Facebook confirming a plane crash on Brooks Road near Highway 31 at around 7:50 a.m.
Moberly Motorsports Park also confirmed the news of Bloomquist’s death in a post on Facebook.
“[Bloomquist’s] mother Georgette just called me and wanted me to announce that he lost his life this morning. At 7:15 EST this morning Scott was out flying his vintage airplane and had a crash on the Bloomquist family farm. The local fire department and law enforcement are still on the scene.”
Scott Bloomquist, driver of the #51 ToyotaCare Toyota, prepares to drive during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series inaugural CarCash Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway on July 23, 2013, in Rossburg, Ohio. (Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department told The Review that Bloomquist crashed into a barn on his property. He was reportedly flying a small two-seat aircraft.
Bloomquist rose to fame in the 1980s, but his career took off in the 1990s. He notably won the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion in 2009, 2010, and 2016 and was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame as a member of its second class in 2002.
Scott Bloomquist during practice for the 16th Annual Grassy Smith Memorial 50-lap Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series event at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina in 2014. (David Allio/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tributes for Bloomquist poured in on social media.
“Scott Bloomquist’s legendary status not only grew out of his accomplishments on track, but his innovations throughout the dirt Late Model industry,” Brian Carter, World Racing Group CEO, said in a statement.
“He played a key role with DIRTcar Racing and the World of Outlaws, helping to rebuild the World of Outlaws Late Models so it could grow into what it’s become today. His influences also helped the evolution of racetracks and chassis over the years. Bloomquist’s passion for the sport and innovative mind will be deeply missed by all.”
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Southeast
Harris rips economic hardships that began during her own administration in campaign speech
Vice President Kamala Harris conceded Americans are struggling in the current economy and vowed to improve things after President Biden boasted his policies were “working” just a day earlier.
Harris made the remarks during a campaign stop in North Carolina, where she unveiled part of her economic platform for the 2024 election.
“We’ve made historic investments in infrastructure, in [semiconductor chips], manufacturing, in clean energy. And new numbers this week alone show that inflation is down under 3%. And as president of the United States, it will be my intention to build on the foundation of this progress,” Harris said.
“Still, we know that many Americans don’t yet feel that progress in their daily lives. Costs are still too high and on a deeper level, for too many people, no matter how much they work, it feels so hard to just be able to get ahead.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to distance herself from President Biden’s handling of the economy. (Getty Images)
Harris also pledged if she wins to “take on the high costs that matter most to most Americans.”
“Like the cost of food. We all know that prices went up during the pandemic when the supply chains shut down and failed, but our supply chains have now improved, and prices are still too high,” Harris said.
Critics hammered Biden in the first half of his administration over pervasive supply chain issues that left grocery store shelves bare while other goods like automobiles had monthslong production delays.
Inflation and supply chain problems were worldwide issues as most countries struggled to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. fared better than most in terms of inflation rates, but many Americans still felt a disconnect between Biden’s early insistence the economy was in good shape and their own financial struggles, a gap that showed in Biden’s low economic approval numbers.
Economists, including some who formerly worked with the Obama-Biden administration, also blamed Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan for over-stimulating the economy and sparking the inflation surge of 2021.
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Harris’ remarks come a day after year-over-year inflation was announced to have reached its lowest level in over three years, with consumer prices only going up 0.2% between June and July.
Biden told reporters Thursday, “I told you they’re going to have a soft landing – we’re going to have a soft landing. My policies are working. Start writing that way.”
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Global supply chain issues left many store shelves bare for part of Biden’s term. (Getty Images)
Earlier that morning, Axios reported Harris wanted to distance herself from Biden on the economy, with her advisers urging her to break from him on issues like high prices.
Asked whether Harris would ditch his unpopular “Bidenomics” label, the president told reporters, “The economy is going to continue with all the legislation we passed … working.”
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