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Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut introduced legislation Thursday that would create a public option for health-care coverage, allowing individuals and small businesses to buy insurance through the state. Under the proposal, Connecticut would create multiple plans that small businesses and their employees could buy starting in July, leveraging the state’s existing purchasing power to lower costs. And in 2021 Connecticut would begin offering a new health-insurance option that any state resident would be able to join. (De Avila, 3/7)

Under two measures announced Thursday, officials would open the state health plan to nonprofits and small companies – those with 50 or fewer employees – and form an advisory council to guide the development of a public option. The legislation would allow the state to create a program, dubbed “ConnectHealth,” that offers low-cost coverage to people who don’t have employer-sponsored insurance. (Carlesso and Phaneuf, 3/7)

School boards must ban any tobacco or other forms of nicotine products from all school property and school-sponsored events under legislation signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Ralph Northam. (Zernik, 3/7)

Today the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 279 to 88 in favor of repealing the state’s death penalty. Lawmakers have voted on this issue many times in the past few years. It’s been vetoed by governors before, and it’s expected that Governor Sununu will veto it again this year. But today’s vote demonstrates that, at least at this point, there’s enough support to override a gubernatorial veto. For more on this we turned to Barbara Keshen, the chair of the New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. (Cohen, 3/7)

House Bill 198 remained alive temporarily after the chamber approved a motion to reconsider the legislation. But by late afternoon, the lead sponsor, Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin), said the bill would not be brought back up on Thursday, which was the 2019 General Assembly session’s Crossover Day. That day is the deadline when a piece of legislation is generally considered dead unless it has passed at least one chamber. (Miller, 3/7)

Members of the House Health Quality Subcommittee this week approved the bill (HB 23) and included a tax credit for insurers and HMOs willing to reimburse health providers for telehealth services. The tax credit — in an amount equal to one-tenth of 1 percent — could be applied against corporate income taxes or insurance premium taxes. (Sexton, 3/7)

But victims’ advocates say authorities throughout the state of Georgia sometimes choose to charge the victims of sex trafficking with prostitution – even minors. This, the advocates say, further victimizes the victims, thrusting them into court systems that treat them as criminals and leave them with lasting criminal records that can haunt their lives. ...To address the situation, state Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula, has filed House Bill 234, which unanimously passed the House on Monday and now must clear the Senate. (Sharpe, 3/6)

Sen. Jeff Brandes and Rep. Ray Rodrigues confirmed Wednesday they’ve reached an accord on a proposal that would allow patients to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for smoking every 35 days, ban smoking of medical marijuana in public places and allow terminally ill children to smoke the treatment, but only if they have a second opinion from a pediatrician. After taking office in January, DeSantis gave the Legislature until March 15 to eliminate the smoking ban. (Kam, 3/7)

The Florida Senate affirmed the right to smoke medical pot Thursday afternoon. Senate Bill 182 made it through its last stop during the day’s session, with just eight days to spare before a deadline set by Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Gross, 3/7)