Network Report Thursday, July 30, 2020 
Widespread inequities create the conditions that stymie our ability to fully mitigate the devastating health and economic impacts of COVID-19. In a special opening plenary, health equity leaders will examine the intertwined forces intensifying the damage from the pandemic, and share their visions for a path forward to recovery. Learn more and register for the Summit.
Kemp v. Bottoms Unmasked: Emergency Powers and State Preemption Last week, the State of Georgia sued the City of Atlanta in order to override three local emergency orders issued by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms that would roll back the reopening of Atlanta and, to deter the spread of COVID-19, mandate that people in the city wear masks when outside or in commercial businesses. July Public Health Law News Roundup Public health law and policy stories that made headlines recently include mask requirements in schools, SNAP enrollment amidst COVID-19, reparations as a means to address health disparities for Black communities, a Supreme Court Ruling on the ACA’s contraceptive care mandate, U.S. withdrawal from W.H.O., evictions and vulnerable populations, and more.
Resources: Following the killing of George Floyd, localities have increasingly declared racism to be a public health emergency or crisis. Despite growing recognition of the fact that racism is a key contributor to poor health in communities of color, there is still insufficient attention to the role of policing and systemic racism as institutions that have powerful impacts on the health and well-being of people of color. This issue brief provides an assessment of how structural racism and policing function as critical social determinants of health for Black people and people of color generally. 
Equity Assessment Framework for Public Health Laws and Policies The Equity Assessment Framework provides a way to assess the equity implications of existing or proposed laws or policies. It can assist in identifying issues in the drafting, design, or implementation of a law or policy that could have a disproportionate impact on different population groups. The framework is meant to guide a discussion around how equity is considered in both process and outcomes, and can help identify opportunities for improvement. 
Regulation of Cannabis-Infused Edibles A number of states have passed laws permitting the cultivation, sale, and use of cannabis. Many also allow cannabis-infused edibles to be manufactured, sold, and consumed. Cannabis edibles present a unique set of public health challenges including risk of ingestion by children and risk of acute intoxication due to delayed onset of the effects of cannabis when consumed as an edible. To address the public health challenges of dosing, attractiveness to children, and food safety, this survey examines eight pertinent variables.
Announcements: We’re happy to introduce our newest staff member, Mosalewa Ani, who joins us as program associate at the Network’s National Office. Mosalewa is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in public health. Mosalewa will support the Network’s programming and communications work.
We are also pleased to announce that April Shaw is now staff attorney with the Network’s Northern Region Office. April previously served as the Research Scholar for the Center for Public Health Law & Policy at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University; and as a staff attorney at the Network’s Western Region Office, where she contributed to the launch of the Network’s Judicial Trends in Public Health Law, and focused on the development of resources on racial disparities in crisis standards of care and the public charge rule.
Worth Sharing: Using Law and Policy to Promote the Use of Oral Health Services in the United States This report from the Healthy People 2020 Law and Health Policy project presents evidence-based and promising law and policy solutions that community and tribal leaders, government officials, public health professionals, health care providers, lawyers, and social service providers can use in their own communities. These solutions focus on improving oral health care financing, strengthening the oral health workforce, and removing barriers to using oral health care services. Law and Ethics during a Public Health Crisis This Op-Ed, published in the Ohio Journal of Public Health, addresses the questions that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the right of local, state and federal governments to mandate certain actions such as closing schools and businesses, limiting travel and the right to assemble, and issuing stay at home orders. Job Opportunities: Director, Office of Regulations The Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) seeks a director to provide leadership in the development of CTP's regulatory responsibilities related to the planning, execution, and coordination of nationwide programs and policies regarding the regulation of tobacco products intended for human use. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) seeks a Chief Legal Officer to advise the Commissioner and DPH staff in all legal matters; manage the legal division; serve as primary contact with the Office of the Attorney General and outside legal firms; and research, prepare and present legal opinions and coordinate division activities with other agency officials or outside agencies.
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Thank you! Your interest in the work of the Network is important. Together, we can advance law as a tool to improve public health. Please forward the Network Report and encourage others to join the Network! The Network for Public Health Law provides information and technical assistance on issues related to public health. The legal information and assistance provided in this document does not constitute legal advice or legal representation. For legal advice, readers should consult a lawyer in their state.
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