Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford released a statement in support of the Attorney General’s Office proposal to allocate $2.4 million of the GlaxoSmithKline Avandia case settlement, after the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, of which she is a member, favorably reviewed the matter.
In March of 2013 the first allocation plan came to JLBC for review and proposed to spend the $2.4 million on research into childhood obesity. Sen. Cajero Bedford stated at that time that these funds would be better spent on education outreach and awareness programs to reach families of children at highest risk for juvenile diabetes and childhood obesity.
After soliciting comment and feedback from stakeholder groups regarding the best use of these funds, the Attorney General’s Office presented a plan to establish a competitive grants program that will improve awareness and educate families and children regarding the dangers of childhood obesity.
“I am pleased to see the effort that the Attorney General’s Office took in creating this program with input from a wide array of stakeholders,” said Sen. Cajero Bedford. “I look forward to following the progress of the state agencies and non-profit organizations that successfully compete for these grants so that we may turn the corner in the fight against childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.”