News This Week From the States

• On "pro-life day" at the Texas State Legislature, Republican Representative Beverly Woolley from Houston has filed a bill to protect embryonic stem cell research and already has support from 64 House members.

• In Kentucky, a bill to ban state agencies from offering health insurance benefits to domestic partners of employees died in the House Health and Welfare Committee, after the University of Louisville began offering the benefits and the University of Kentucky announced it is considering doing so.

• The New Hampshire state House voted to repeal the state's 2003 law requiring a parent to be notified before a minor daughter can get an abortion, which has been appealed as far as the U.S. Supreme Court. The courts ruled the law is flawed because it was unclear how the Legislature intended to protect the health of a girl in an emergency situation.

• The Hawaii state House revived a measure that extends state employee health coverage to same-sex partners.

• And in Washington, more than half of the state's uninsured children could receive health-care coverage under a bill passed by state lawmakers this week. The state Senate approved the measure earlier this session, and Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire has said she would sign it.