By Anna Claire Vollers, Stateline.org

One morning earlier this year, as Deb Capistrano came on duty for her shift as a nurse in her hospital’s stroke unit, her colleagues from the night shift warned her that one of her patients for the day was a man who’d been threatening to harm them.

Capistrano has been a registered nurse for 17 years. Threats of violence aren’t new to her. Across the nation, hospitals have become some of the most violent workplaces in America, where health care workers experience workplace violence at triple the rate of all other private industries combined, federal statistics show.

For Capistrano, the worry that she could be hurt while doing her job is always in the back of her mind.

But in California, where she works, robust state law requires hospitals to create detailed violence prevention plans specific to the needs of each hospital unit, with input from frontline workers like nurses.

When Capistrano arrived on duty, nursing management already had a plan to keep her safe. For example, every time Capistrano entered the patient’s room she had an escort, and hospital security did their rounds more frequently on her unit.

“In that moment, I felt really safe,” she told Stateline. “There were a lot of different things in place that day to prevent any harm. I think that’s largely due to having that law in place.”

Health care workers such as Capistrano make up just 10% of the American workforce but experience 48% of the nonfatal injuries from workplace violence, according to federal data.

And the threat is increasing. The number of health care providers who reported harassment at work from patients, patients’ families and colleagues more than doubled between 2018 and 2022, according to the latest data available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research has found workplace violence in health care is increasingly common due to a number of factors. Some are organizational: not enough staffing, long patient wait times or lack of appropriate security. Patients’ expectations about how fast or easy it should be to access care appear to have increased in recent years, as the costs of health care have gone up.

Researchers have also found that public attitudes are being shaped by politicians who might promote or undermine health services for political gain, particularly relating to contentious topics such as vaccination, masking or abortion.

With threats against nurses, physicians and other staff on the rise, state lawmakers and hospital officials are scrambling to put stronger protections in place. Those include increased criminal penalties, armed security guards and violence prevention plans.

This year, Ohio, Oregon and Washington enacted laws designed to curb workplace violence in health care spaces by requiring employers to create and carry out detailed violence prevention plans. Such plans can include risk assessments specific to each hospital unit, staff training on de-escalation techniques, increased security and a clear policy for reporting incidents.

Dozens of states — including California, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine and Texas — have enacted laws aimed at curbing violence in hospitals and clinics, the vast majority of them in the past decade. Legislators in other states, including Alaska, Massachusetts, New York and Wyoming, introduced similar legislation in their most recent sessions.

Related Articles

Troops will miss paychecks next week without action on the government shutdown

At least 170 US hospitals face major flood risk. Experts say Trump is making it worse

New US sanctions target 50 people, companies and ships for allegedly aiding Iran’s oil and gas trade

US diplomat fired over relationship with woman accused of ties to Chinese Communist Party

Frustrated lawmakers say lack of trust is making it harder to end the government shutdown

Prevention and punishment

A few years ago, during a shift in the emergency department at a hospital in Maine, nurse Meg Sinclair was tending to an older patient who became increasingly agitated. The patient grabbed both sides of her stethoscope and tried to strangle her.

Sinclair, who now works at Maine Medical Center in Portland, has been a nurse for 11 years. She’s spent most of that time in hospital emergency departments, where the potential for chaos never feels far away. A fellow nurse recently told her about getting her nose broken by a patient.

“It’s kind of crazy because nurses unfortunately normalize these horrific things that happen to them,” Sinclair told Stateline.

“You’re feeling scared in an environment where you shouldn’t have to, in your workplace where you’re trying to help people.”

In Maine, a 2023 law toughened the punishment for assaults that occur in a hospital emergency department.

To Sinclair, the law felt performative. She believes adding harsher penalties doesn’t do much to prevent assault from happening in the first place.

“It’s just not effective because it’s reactionary,” she said. “It’s frustrating, because the last thing I’d want to do is blame the patients. They’re often sick and scared, and not in their right mind.”

But proponents of such laws have said they’re needed to help law enforcement hold offenders accountable. Other states, such as Georgia, also have increased criminal penalties for assaults on nurses and other health care workers.

Maine Democratic state Rep. Holly Stover introduced a bill this year to extend her state’s harsher penalties to assaults on all health care workers, not just those working in the ER. She told Stateline that the penalties would only apply to people deemed competent to face such charges, not those unable to understand the consequences of their actions.

Her bill passed the House but was indefinitely postponed in the Senate in June. While Stover will leave office next year due to term limits, she hopes another lawmaker will reintroduce the bill.

“I’ve seen workers who have had broken cheekbones, broken noses, broken jaws,” said Stover, who has worked in health care and social services, and serves as a trustee for her local hospital.

“Any legislation that can better address the prevalence and potential for violence in health care settings is going to be critically important.”

Other states have focused on stepping up hospital security. A 2023 North Carolina law, for example, requires hospitals with emergency departments to have a law enforcement officer — not just unarmed security guards — on campus at all times.

But many hospitals have already gone down that road.

Hospital police forces

In September, WellSpan Health, a nine-hospital system in southern Pennsylvania, announced it would create its own private police force, adding armed officers to supplement its unarmed security team. The system will also be increasing its weapons detection equipment at hospital entrances.

WellSpan is in the same region of Pennsylvania where, in February, a gunman entered the intensive care unit at UPMC Memorial Hospital and took staff members hostage before he was killed by police. The shootout left one officer dead, and it wounded a doctor, a nurse, a hospital custodian and two other officers.

A growing number of hospitals are launching their own police forces, said Tony Pope, the chief of police and emergency preparedness at Columbus Regional Health in Columbus, Indiana, south of Indianapolis.

At least 29 states allow hospitals to create their own police forces, with officers who can carry firearms and make arrests, according to the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety, a professional association for safety and security directors at health care facilities. Pope, who is president-elect of the association, said the levels of authority and jurisdiction for such officers can vary from state to state, but they’re able to carry firearms and make arrests.

At Indiana’s state police academy, health care is the fastest-growing contingent of police officers in the state, Pope said.

High-profile incidents nationwide have prompted more health systems to beef up their security. In 2023, a man opened fire in the waiting room of an Atlanta medical practice, leaving one woman dead and four others wounded. A few months later, a visitor at an Oregon hospital opened fire and killed a security guard, and a doctor was shot and injured at a Dallas-area medical center. The year before, a man killed his surgeon, another doctor, a receptionist and a visitor at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical office.

Workplace violence cost hospitals an estimated $18 billion in 2023 alone, according to a recent report from the American Hospital Association.

Pope said his force in Columbus has seen a 56% reduction in violent incidents since 2023.

And police forces aren’t just for the big systems anymore. Smaller hospitals, too, are testing the waters. In July, the 25-bed Perry County Memorial Hospital in southern Indiana announced it would begin hiring officers for its new police force this fall.

Scrubs and security

Sinclair often talks with other nurses about their workplace needs as a member of her local nurses union. She believes the best action state legislators could take to combat violence in health care is to require hospitals and other clinics to maintain certain nurse-to-patient ratios and penalize employers that exceed them.

“When we’re short-staffed and someone’s begging for help and you can’t get to them because you’re running between eight different rooms putting out fire after fire, then you get the verbal assault, the hair pulling,” said Sinclair, who said she’s experienced all of those things.

“You have to meet people’s needs or else they resort to things they otherwise wouldn’t do.”

Nursing groups have for years requested nurse-to-patient ratios. Only a handful of states, including California, have passed such laws.

Hospital systems and other employers argue ratios don’t give them needed flexibility in hiring, and could threaten the financial safety of some institutions that might be forced to close units if they can’t meet the ratios.

Pope said that in his experience, hospitals and other health employers likely need several different laws and policies in place, from prevention plans to added security measures.

“When it comes to addressing workplace violence, it really is important for health care facilities and systems to have that multipronged approach,” he said.

Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at avollers@stateline.org.

©2025 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

WASHINGTON — Heather Campbell lost her job working for a food bank over the summer because of federal funding cuts. Her husband serves as an officer in the Air Force, but now he’s facing the prospect of missing his next paycheck because of the government shutdown.

If lawmakers in Washington don’t step in, Campbell’s husband won’t get paid on Wednesday. Because the couple lacks the savings to cover all their expenses, they expect to survive on credit cards to pay the mortgage and feed their three children, racking up debt as the political stalemate drags on.

“You’re asking us to put our lives on the line or the people we love to put their lives on the line,” said Campbell, 39, who lives outside Montgomery, Alabama, near Maxwell Air Force Base. “And you’re not even going to give us our paycheck. What? There is a lot of broken trust there.”

The nation’s third shutdown in 12 years is once again raising anxiety levels among service members and their families because those in uniform are working without pay. While they would receive back pay once the impasse ends, many military families live paycheck to paycheck. During previous shutdowns, Congress passed legislation to ensure that troops kept earning their salaries, but time is running out before they miss their first paycheck in less than a week.

“There are so many things that Congress can’t agree on right now,” said Kate Horrell, the wife of a Navy veteran whose Washington, D.C., company provides financial advice to military families. “I don’t want to assume that they’re going to be able to agree on this.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reviews troops during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Paying the troops has support, but it’s unclear when a deal might pass

When asked if he would support a bill to pay the troops, President Donald Trump said, “that probably will happen.”

“We’ll take care of it,” Trump said Wednesday. “Our military is always going to be taken care of.”

Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican and former Navy helicopter pilot, has introduced a measure to maintain military and Coast Guard salaries, and it has bipartisan co-sponsors.

The House is closed for business until next week, leaving two days to take action before Wednesday’s payday.

Amanda Scott, whose husband is an Air Force officer in Colorado, said the uncertainty goes beyond the stress of just getting by — it chips away at the military’s ability to retain the best people and their readiness to fight.

“How ready and lethal are you if you don’t know if you can feed your family?” said Scott, 33, of Colorado Springs, who works for a defense contractor and volunteers as an advocate for military families. “A lot of these service members are highly skilled and can go out and make much more money in the civilian sector.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Aid is available for service members, but it’s not enough for some families

Support is available for military families through nonprofits and charities. For example, some financial institutions are offering zero-interest loans, while each military branch has a relief organization.

But Campbell said she and her husband in Alabama can’t apply for a payday loan because they’re refinancing their house. They lack a substantial emergency fund because they were paying off student loans and moved several times in the last few years to military posts. It was often challenging for her to find steady work and child care.

“The opportunity to build up savings is really difficult on just one income,” Campbell said. “I don’t know many military families that have a month’s worth of income set aside just in case, let alone multiple months’ worth.”

Jen Cluff, whose husband recently left the Air Force, said her family was on a food aid program during the 2019 shutdown. But even the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC, which helps more than 6 million low-income mothers and young children, would run out of federal money within two weeks unless the shutdown ends, experts say.

“We made so little and had three young children,” said Cluff, 42, of San Antonio. “We were definitely a family that had very little buffer.”

If Congress had not passed legislation to pay troops during the last shutdown, missing more than two paychecks “would have been catastrophic for us,” she said.

“Resentment can grow quickly,” Cluff said of the shutdown, adding that “the general public, and many in government, truly don’t understand the daily sacrifices our military members and their families make for our country.”

Related Articles

At least 170 US hospitals face major flood risk. Experts say Trump is making it worse

New US sanctions target 50 people, companies and ships for allegedly aiding Iran’s oil and gas trade

US diplomat fired over relationship with woman accused of ties to Chinese Communist Party

Frustrated lawmakers say lack of trust is making it harder to end the government shutdown

Illinois urges judge to stop National Guard deployment after Trump administration ‘plowed ahead’

Wider effects feared in military-heavy areas

The economic impact will ripple through regions with large military footprints, like coastal Virginia, home to the nation’s largest Navy base and several other installations. The area’s 88,000 active duty service members and their families likely have pulled back significantly on spending, said Rick Dwyer, executive director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, an advocacy group.

“Think about service members who are deployed right now around the world,” said Dwyer, who served in the Air Force during previous shutdowns. “They’re having to wonder if their families are going to be able to pay the rent, the child care bills, the car payments.”

A shutdown contingency plan posted on the Pentagon’s website cites the use of funds to continue military operations from Trump’s big tax and spending cut bill. The Congressional Budget Office has said money appropriated to the Defense Department under the new law could be used to pay active duty personnel.

It was not clear if the funding would be used for that. The Pentagon said Thursday that it could not provide information “at this time.”

Its contingency plan says it will “continue to defend the nation and conduct ongoing military operations” as well as activities “necessary for the safety of human life and the protection of property.”

Listed among the highest priorities are securing the U.S.-Mexico border, operations in the Middle East and the future Golden Dome missile defense program. The plan also noted that “child care activities required for readiness” would continue.

Raleigh Smith Duttweiler, chief impact officer for the National Military Family Association, said most child development centers on military bases are still operating. But she said most service members pay for child care off base.

“Last I checked, my kids’ babysitter doesn’t take an IOU from the federal government,” said Duttweiler, whose husband is a Marine.

Related Articles

Illinois urges judge to stop National Guard deployment after Trump administration ‘plowed ahead’

Senate Republicans vote down legislation to check Trump’s use of war powers against cartels

Illinois leaders are waiting to see what’s next with Trump’s use of National Guard

Bipartisan US governors’ group faces division over Trump’s deployment of troops to states

Clinic launches suicide prevention campaign for women veterans: ‘We are here for you’

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A ship parade streamed up and down the Delaware River beside Philadelphia on Thursday to kick off a celebration of the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

Among the ships that took part were the USS Lassen, the USS Billings and the USS Cooperstown. A military flyover accompanied the flotilla.

Thousands of people were expected to attend the boat parade and other anniversary-linked events over the next few days, including a reunion of veterans, a downtown street parade and a concert featuring singer Patti LaBelle, the Navy band and the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps.

Other celebrations were expected to take place on military bases around the world, organizers said.

Related Articles

Troops will miss paychecks next week without action on the government shutdown

Man could face death penalty in Los Angeles fire case

Runaway inflatable pumpkin spooks police as they attempt to catch it and return it home

Judge upholds North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming care for kids

Texas appeals court again pauses execution of Robert Roberson in shaken baby case

The events marking the 1775 creation of the Navy and Marine Corps proceeded despite the government shutdown that has closed many federal agencies and offices. The Navy press office did not immediately respond to a Thursday email asking if any festivities had been curtailed because of the shutdown.

Vice Admiral John Gumbleton, speaking at the Delaware River waterfront along with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, the governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and others, said the celebration also marks the start of the nation’s semiquincentennial next year.

He encouraged civilians to engage with active and retired military personnel visiting Philadelphia and to ask them about their service.

“For every missile that destroys a threat, for every jet aircraft launched, for every engine that steams, none of this happens without a sailor behind it,” Gumbleton said.

“The ships are cool, the jets are cool, everything looks cool, but it’s the people — it’s those sailors, it’s those Marines, that get it done,” he said.

“Despite her focus on affordability, Gov. Hochul has yet to change any of our policies to bring down energy costs. Repealing the 100-foot rule can be the start.”

(Jeanmarie Evelly/City Limits)

From community boards to campaign signs, coffeeshops to Reddit threads, one single word has come to dominate the discourse of everyday New Yorkers: affordability. Most people are feeling the pressure of rising prices, and it’s no different when it comes to exorbitant energy bills which have become the unwelcome norm. 

Rate hikes for Con Edison’s customers have recently gone into effect, leading many people to share their anguish on social media over the skyrocketing costs of their monthly payments for electricity and gas. The bills, which for some customers have resulted in increases of more than $70 a month, have sparked fierce pushback, with ratepayers condemning the corporate profiteering of New York State’s investor-owned utility companies.

Disadvantaged New Yorkers—particularly low-income people and people of color—face the greatest burden because they are required to spend, on average, a disproportionate amount of their household income on energy bills. On top of that, they are more likely to live in older, less energy-efficient homes that require more energy to heat and cool, raising their energy bills even higher.

Utilities make money by building new methane gas infrastructure and charging New Yorkers to cover the cost, regardless of whether these expenses make financial sense or align with the state’s climate goals. For decades, this business model has allowed utilities to constantly increase their profits while customers face rate hike after rate hike.  

The pushback and pressure on lawmakers to finally address the energy affordability crisis helped pass a new bill this year that would eliminate the 100-foot rule, an obscure law that allows New York energy corporations to spend $200 million of customer dollars every year. If signed into law by New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, utilities will have one less pathway to exploit New Yorkers who deserve access to affordable heating and cooling. 

Under the 100-foot rule, utility companies are required to connect every building within 100 feet of an existing gas line to the methane gas system, even though more modern, more affordable, and energy efficient options exist. Because utilities recuperate expensive infrastructure costs from customers, the more gas lines Con Edison, National Grid, and other utilities build, the more money their shareholders make off rate increases.

And while shareholders profit, New Yorkers are being crushed as they are forced to cover the cost of expanding a sprawling, leaking, and outdated gas infrastructure in the form of rate hikes. Even before its most recent rate hike was implemented, Con Edison had already requested another increase, which—by their own estimates—would cost customers around $46 more per month and more than $500 a year. National Grid and Central Hudson customers will soon see higher bills as well.  

In fact, an analysis from the Alliance for a Green Economy shows that since the start of 2022, every major gas utility in the state has raised the cost of energy for their customers with customers of Con Edison, National Fuel, Central Hudson, and National Grid of Long Island experiencing an average annual increase of $312 in their gas bills between 2023 and 2025. Nearly 1 in every 7 households are behind on their energy bills, with nearly $2 billion total in arrears. Residents are being forced to choose between heating and cooling their homes or paying for groceries, rent, and other basic necessities.

New Yorkers across the state are demanding change. They are demanding affordability. The 100-foot rule is one of the many policies that forces New Yorkers to pay more for the cost of expanding the methane gas system than the actual cost of the gas itself. At a time when costs are going up, households shouldn’t be spending millions of ratepayer dollars on outdated gas pipelines that enrich CEOs and shareholders. 

Despite her focus on affordability, Gov. Hochul has yet to change any of our policies to bring down energy costs. Repealing the 100-foot rule can be the start. Eliminating the outdated law would immediately help save ratepayers money, curb future utility rate hikes, and move us toward a more just and climate-safe energy system. 

We need swift, decisive action from Governor Hochul to deliver on the promise that ratepayers across the state are desperately asking for. We need her to put pen to paper and repeal the 100-foot rule. 

Lonnie J. Portis is the director of policy and legislative affairs at WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

The post Opinion: NY Utilities Are Exploiting an Outdated Law to Raise Energy Bills appeared first on City Limits.