Diabetes

Houston will honor former state Rep. Garnet Coleman with a visitation and funeral Friday at Christ Church Cathedral downtown, following his death last month at age 65. Coleman, a Democrat, represented parts of Houston — including his home neighborhood of Third Ward, downtown, Midtown, Montrose and the Hobby Airport area — in the Texas House from 1991 to 2022, stepping down due to complications from severe diabetes.

Over his three decades in office, Coleman became a leading advocate for healthcare access and affordable housing, working to counter displacement in historically Black neighborhoods. He helped lead Midtown Redevelopment Authority efforts to buy land for affordable housing in Third Ward and co-led an Obama administration working group of state lawmakers that helped shape the Affordable Care Act. His family asked that he be remembered for his service and "never-ending passion for uplifting all Texans."

Garnet Coleman, a Democrat who represented Houston's Third Ward and surrounding areas in the Texas House for more than three decades, has died at 65. His family said he died Wednesday of natural causes, following long-standing complications from diabetes.

First elected in 1991 at age 30, Coleman became one of the Legislature's most senior members before retiring in 2022. As a longtime budget writer, he pushed for expanded mental health and HIV/AIDS funding and helped establish the state's children's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs in 1999, earning recognition across party lines as a leading advocate for health care access. He was also a driving force behind Midtown Redevelopment Authority efforts to preserve affordable housing in Third Ward amid gentrification pressures. His family asked that he be remembered for his service and "never-ending passion for uplifting all Texans."

Jakob Blodgett, a 9-year-old with Type 1 diabetes, died in 2022 after staff at an Arizona group home run by Sunshine Residential Homes missed two doses of his long-lasting insulin and told an employee to give him water instead of medication. He developed brain swelling and died on a ventilator. Despite a licensing violation from the Department of Child Safety, the state imposed no fines, suspension, or license revocation, and no criminal charges have been filed, though a sheriff's investigation continues.

The case has become entangled in Arizona politics ahead of Gov. Katie Hobbs' reelection bid. Sunshine, the state's largest group home provider, made $550,000 in political contributions benefiting Hobbs, including gifts to her inaugural and legal defense funds, before receiving a 30% rate increase. Attorney General Kris Mayes found no evidence of bribery, attributing the increase to Sunshine's leverage as a dominant provider. Republican challenger Andy Biggs has seized on the scandal, while a state auditor general investigation and a county attorney probe remain ongoing. A separate diabetic teen died at another Arizona group home in 2024.

Jakob Blodgett, 9, died in 2022 after staff at a Sunshine Residential Homes group home in metro Phoenix missed two doses of his long-lasting insulin and reportedly told him to drink water instead. He was later hospitalized with brain swelling and died of complications from Type 1 diabetes. Arizona's Department of Child Safety issued a licensing violation against Sunshine but imposed no fines or license action.

The case has become entangled in political controversy as Gov. Katie Hobbs seeks reelection. Sunshine made roughly $550,000 in political contributions benefiting Hobbs, including funds tied to her inaugural committee and legal defense, before the company received a 30% rate increase from the state. Attorney General Kris Mayes found no evidence of bribery, attributing the increase to Sunshine's leverage as Arizona's largest group home provider. Republican challenger Andy Biggs has made the scandal central to his campaign, and Arizona's auditor general and a Maricopa County criminal investigation are ongoing. No one has been charged, and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Blodgett's family remains active.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) is cosponsoring the bipartisan INSULIN Act with Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), which would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for private insurance plans, matching the existing cap for Medicare beneficiaries. Miller-Meeks, who won reelection in 2024 by fewer than 800 votes, faces the same Democratic challenger, Christiana Bohannan, in a closely watched November midterm race where healthcare costs are a central issue.

The Senate version, introduced by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), cleared committee in July and awaits a full Senate vote. Miller-Meeks is working with House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders to advance a House version, though the bill is unlikely to pass before the midterms. Roughly 40 million Americans have diabetes, and surveys show most insulin-dependent patients pay well above $35 monthly, with many cutting other expenses to afford care.