It also left elderly residents unable to connect with family and friends. The precaution, which lasted for months, was intended to save lives. Greg Abbott barred nursing homes from admitting visitors as COVID-19 cases surged in facilities last year.
Like his counterparts elsewhere, Texas Gov. The amendment would add heft to a similar law enacted earlier this year in Texas. In Texas, early results showed strong support for an amendment creating a constitutional right for residents in nursing homes and other group-living facilities to designate an “essential caregiver,” who could continue to visit even if the general public is barred from the facility. Opponents had worried the measure might lead some people to try to raise cattle in cities. “I don’t understand why anyone would be afraid of saying so out loud in the constitution.” Craig Hickman, a supporter of the proposal. Food is life,” said Democratic state Sen. “It’s always a good idea to secure and protect an individual right in the world we live in. Maine's unique measure declares individuals have an “unalienable right to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing.” It passed comfortably. Some were a response to policies put in place during the coronavirus pandemic, including a pair of Texas proposals limiting restrictions on religious gatherings and nursing home visits.
The Maine ballot measure was one of several in states seeking to create new constitutional rights touching on an array of issues. The right to food won rave reviews Tuesday from Maine voters, who passed the nation's first guarantee for people to grow, harvest and eat according to their own wishes.