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Show __TheSalt Lake Tribune UTAH/NATION A4 OK From House | @ Continued from A-1 | Saori John | Spgnsore House hard, andthose measuresfailed. Thevote came amid heavy lob: which opposed the Norwood said theissue boiled down to a “simple principle, whetherthe insuranceindustry like everybody else should be responsible for any actions that harmothers.” The mostserious obstacle to its passage was a substitute bill by Reps. Tom EatBy RO send John Shadegg, gued that the ho Lawsuits Lifts federal ban on Jawsuits against many ‘companies. Allows patients to sue in state | courts a benefitis | denied or delayed | | Incependent Allows patients to take “Mrs. Shepar mes from a longlineofaccidental activists,” Austin said. “They are women who have become involved in gay and binding on the plan. “Hate” are followedby ashotof Shepardwit! her head bowed “Please don’t let there be a next time,” she anven Access to care should havea right to sue. “I wonder how manysenators trials. AP || want to go home and say they stood in the way of encouraging HMOstobe responsible and accountable to their enrollees,” he said. Conferees also will have tofigure out howto payfor the reform cost of the Norwood-Dingell bill could range as high as $8 billion over five years, according to the Congr sional Budget Office Republican Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, a heart surgeon and one of the leading authors of the Senate version of thebill, said he is still worried that increased regu lation and expanded liability would increase costs and for more people onto the uninsured rolls. But Frist, voicing a concern raised by House advocates ofthe Norwood-Dingell bill, added that he wants to “get HMOs out of the practice of medicine and return autonomy for medical decisions back to doctors.” Under existing law, aggrieved patients can sue in federal courts for a health plan's negligence, but are limited to recovering only the cost of denied services and any court fees. They cannot receive any other economic or punitive damages. The Norwood-Dingell bill grants patients the widest latitude to bring suits in state courts. And. Fen-Phen Users To Split $4.8B, If Judge Agrees awards by state “The difference in these ils washowfar yougo in giving cense to trial lawyers and in tak ing away incentives from employers, health plans and patients to get health care,” The U.S. Hastert said. Chamber of Com- merce, whichlobbied hard agains the bill, amplified Hastert’s con’ or‘wood Dingell will move decision-making to the aid Thomas Dono: hue, headofthe Chamber, ter the House vote, Senate int. Majority Leader Don s, R-Okla. abe is likely to lead the Senat i he would be “dr ate a line” against the broader reforms approved Thursday. overwhelming majority of people who took Redux or Pondimin has he GLSEN, established in 1994, heldits adult advisors and liability insurance, just as any community group is allow While not all gay students take part in such clubs, Austin said, just knowingthere is such a group in a local high school makes students morecomfortable there. “For me, just knowing it was there was enough,” he said. start to think about gay and lesbiankidsasless than human. It’s critical to remind peoplethat everysingle humanbeing deservesrespect and safety in the school setting and in the community.” story. The Associated Press “I will work activities, such as fund-raisers. Elizabeth King, one of the two eral Utah assistant attorneys general representing the school district the right offree speec! Althoughthe law allows some @ Continued from A-1 the place of andthestate, said thedecision was important becauseit defined what it means for a club to be “curriculum-related.” In deciding the issue, Jenkins put himself in student government at East andit has continued to meet. “The fact that the school dis: mbledto coverits tracks does not changethe fact that there was a violation,” Clark said Attorneysfor the students have argued that district officials en- forced their club banselectively, allowing someclubs such as the ively to makesure we a bill which increases costs or iner the numberof uninsured,” Nickles said Key House members sounded similarly skeptical of success. they “You don't see too many cross: breeds between chihuahuas and Great Danes walking around said Rep, Bill Thom Calif. are not directly tied to courses in the curriculum. In Thursday's decision, Jen: kins ruled those clubs should be allowedbe ‘e based on academic subjects even though contributed to this Cynthia Seidel, the district's assistant superintendant who screens club applications, Kingsaid, “[{Jenkins] went further than any court has gonebefore,” King aid. “Heis the first to really do what Cynthia Seidel does every day — decide whatis related to curriculumand whatis not.” But Jenkins left the door open for students to show that school district’s practice differs from its policy. The judge has scheduled a Nov. 5 pre-trial con- ference to review whether stu- dents have been prevented from voicing their opinions. “The only factual question which remainsis whether an unwrittenpolicy exists that prohibits Indeed, Jenkins dedicated sev his 55-page order to government institutions, such as schools,to limit First Amendment rights, Jenkins wrote, that should be the exception rather than the rule. “In a very real sense, the First Amendment maps an expanse of sacred ground ground upon which ideas may be expressed . free from intrusion or restriction by the powerof govern ment because w ognize that ‘freedom of pr ion is the well spring ofourcivilization.’ ” Keysha Barnes, one of four plaintiffs, joined the lawsuit with her father, James. She graduated from East High School in May, but said her involvement in the suit ee: aent of this year's GSA, - ‘know that we've savedlives, The GSAreally has such a large impac i ‘on people's lives, it's a very hwhilething for me to be doing with my life,” she said. At West High School, the Gay ght Alliance is shepherded by Teerlink and Paul Traneev. ery Wednesday afternoon. Trane and Teerlink are retired Graniie SchoolDistrict educators, GLSEN members and life partner: “Our whole lives have been spent nurturingand trying to help youngpeople,” Trane said. “This is one way for us to give back to. our community,” he two lead club membersin journal writing, discussions, mov: ies and activities. for the better. I learned so much frombeinginvolved, regardless of Zast High’s clubis in its fourth year and attracts between 15 and ») members to its ThursdaymeetAdviser Camille Lee, also.a rere of GLSEN, said students are content mostly to consume what the outcome is, mylife snacks and talk, is provided education It definitely an invaluable changed my life has been changedfor thebetter,” she “Maybe the’ e not this year.” shesaid. content.” aspolitical hey’rejust [thegay students]from expres in their viewpoint,” Jenkins wrote. said. Ivy Fox, a senior at East and Teachers March to Demand a decade. ant the average Utah ly 1.5 percent Thursday's “Linking Arms for Children” march was more than a mereploy to improve teachersal Allen, D-Stansbur handtolisten to wi More Funding ase this year. And in teachers said, they aries, Most said they simply lack thebasicsupplies they need to get al groundbecause they y higher medical insi ance premiums. their candor. “I know in business you don’t their jobs done adequately “T have 35 kids in a classroom build a secure company without investing in employees,” he said, adding that the same principle should applyto schools. UEA President Phyllis So theyparticipate in noncurricular who chairs the Ways and Mains health subcommittee and led this week's fruitless effort by the GOP. leadership to drum up support at the last minute for a more limited bill pulmonary hyperten sion, a rare but serious lungdis: order, The company said it decided to deal with those cases separately because there are so few of them. It also noted that fen phen’s label included a warning about the disorder Thesettlement contains $2 billion to pay for injuries, $1 bil lion for medical monitoring and drug refunds and $429 million in plaintiffs’ attorney fees, The com pany also agreed to pay $25 million for heart disease research. @ Continued from A-1 optimistic about,” hesaid. On Wednesday, the governor Later in the morning, during the convention's keynote speech, broadcast commentator Charles Osgood laced the teachers’ sa y on education and asking themfor their thoughts andideas. So far, he dilemma with a dash of humor Osgoodnotedthat when he went to parochial school as a child, the nuns and clergy who were his has received sponses and, Poverty sent an e-mail to 18,000 Utah teach detailing his past record hundreds of re: after Thursday’s event, expects more. Teachers also are hoping legis lators will listen. In 19 9, the Leg- islature approved a 2.5 percent increase on the state's per-pupil funding formula, known as the Weighted Pupil U: nit(WEU. ), It was the lowest percentage increase in said On news of the settlement American Home stock rose $3.56" or 8 percent, to $48.68": on the New York Stock Exchange. The com and I don’t have the supplies I needto teach the state cor cur riculum,” said Schaffer, math teacherat Bonneville Junior High School in the Granite School District ft askof you aid Osgood, whoan “CBS News Sunday Morning. Later, he said of teachers, hors er have we owed so much to so many But teachers insisted LY that appreciated rensen said the marchwasjust the veginning of a statewideeffort to focus attention on education. Res: idents will start seeing hundredof lawn signs with a “Utah Students the message from the teachers match the state's required core. themselves. Sorensen challenged themto “tell their story” to neigh- outdated textbooks that do not vow theteachers have the equipment. He also uses signments, but his school does not taken a Park, was on Deserve More” message. of had And he affer said the state requires that students learn to use graph ing ¢calculators for some m has “But that is a little too muchto. teachers had to say. I'm hopingafter today people are more enlightened and they slators who will vote out the I aren't pro-education. Schaffer aid Residents also will be hearing bors, friends, policy-makers and even strang Next time you go to the gro cery store,” she said, “don’t leave until you ‘have told at least one At least one state senator Ron personour story.” It’s as easy as pany had revenue of about $13 bil lion last year and profits of $2.5 billion American Home, lanta. Court Backs School Board Ban on Clubs Future Business Leaders of Amerthe Ni Honor Society and ICE to meet even though primary were safe for most people. “The scientific studies con ducted to date and clinical experi ence indicate that the health of the ersely affected,” damage juries. The settlement does not cover patients who say they suffer from trick the stomach into feeling full national conference over the weekend in At. first-ever national conference two years later It LakeCity. Theorganization rents from the three local high schools, provides would imposenolimits on puni tive company should pay for medical Home's general counsel, reiter ated the company’s position that the drugs, which make the brain The television spot premeried at the GLSEN the idea thatit's OK. It’continues and people sponsored by GLSEN,or ian andSt aight Education Netw ork, TV. In Utah, GLSENsponsors Ga aight Alliance clubsat three Salt Lake Valley high schools East, West andCopperHills. Thereare more than 100 student members, said National GLSEN Communications Director Jim Anderson. unlike the Coburn-Shadeggbill, it monitoring for 94,000 healthy exfen-phen users. The trial wassus: pended this week whenthe settle ment appeared near. @ Continued from A-L so many youngpeople,” themonit and putastopto it, thenchildrenget The segment is associatedwith clinical October. “It’s such a wonderful chanceto reach Matthew, but the harassmentcontinuesevery daylocaliy,” Austinsaid. “If people don’t call says quietly, Requiresplansto pay for needed specialists andfor routine care uledfortrial Monday. ‘The MTVspot will continue to run through transgender students from 32 states answered questions about their school experiences. Some 91 percent reported hearing homophobic comments regularly at school, 69 percent had experienced verbal harassment and 24 percent physical harassment. “We're saddened about what happened to is like these, think really mean,” Shepard says. A flashes on thescreenwith the 98. The words “Murdered” and whose decisions are prison, Aaron James McKinney, 22, is sched- lesbian issues after they see whattheir kids go through. SometimesI feellike hell hathnofury like a womantakingcare of her ae= Last week, GLSENreleased veyof the nationalschool climate that included Utahstatistics. Nectly Mdlesbish bisexual teacher Judy Shepard, takes to television in a plea for youngpeople to respect one another. The 30-second public service announcement that will air on MTV this week features high school boys ina locker roomshoutinganti-gay insults. Two men were accused of luring the 21- year-old Shepardoutofabar, driving himto a remote ie and then robbing and pistolwhipping him. Russell Arthur Henderson,21, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in chair Robert Austin, a teacher at Northwest Middle Schoolin Sait LakeCity. This week, his mother, former school outside the health plan, ally would concedethat patients not been It has been one year since MatthewShepard, a gay Wyoming college student, died after being beaten unconscious andtiedto a fenceoutside Laramie. ‘\compiaints to panels Dingell expressed confidence » Thursdaythat the Senate eventu- The gay and straight, according to Utah GLSEN co- health insurance > jation wenttoo farin allowing pa: ‘tients to sue their HMOsandother insurers. Their alternative bill wasdefeated, 238-193, legislation. BYHILARY GROUTAGE AKE TRIBUNE, c legislation. Gay advocates hope MTV segmentwill help children understand that everybody deserves respect Reps. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., and backed by the White” byingfromtheinsurance industry and others in the business com munity, Motherof Slain Student Calls for Tolerance | House Approves | Patients’ Rights Bill Legislation Gets 5 Health-Care Friday, October8, 1999 based in Mad. ison, N.J., said it faces about 6,500 suits over the drugs. Individuals can opt out of the ind =still sue. 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