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University of Wisconsin–Madison
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty

Month: February 2010

Extension of Jobless Benefits

  • Unemployment benefits for 1.2 million Americans could expire Sunday, By John Schmid, February 26, 2010, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Nearly 1.2 million unemployed Americans – including 27,000 in Wisconsin – face an imminent cutoff of government unemployment checks if Congress cannot pass emergency legislation to extend federal benefits before funding expires Sunday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) pushed this week for Senate passage of a stopgap 30-day extension of jobless benefits, which also includes a 30-day extension of a federal COBRA health insurance subsidy for the jobless. But as of late Thursday, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) objected to each attempt to bring the issue to a Senate floor vote, balking that the measure would further inflate the nation’s debt. The House passed a 30-day extension Thursday. Reid’s 11th-hour actions, however, cut excruciatingly close to the deadline. According to the National Employment Law Project, a research and advocacy group, the ranks of unemployed losing eligibility for unemployment compensation will rise sharply and continuously if Congress decides against an extension. By June, 127,100 Wisconsin residents will see their unemployment insurance phased out if Congress doesn’t act. Nationally, the number swells to 5 million by June, the group calculates…”
  • Senate inaction jeopardizes unemployment benefits, Associated Press, February 26, 2010, New York Times: “The Senate failed Friday to extend programs for laid-off workers, jeopardizing unemployment benefits scheduled to expire over the weekend. The benefits are part of a larger package of government programs, from highway funding to loans for small businesses, set to expire Sunday because senators couldn’t agree on how to pay to keep them going. The House passed a bill Thursday extending the programs for one month while lawmakers consider how to address the issues long-term. Senate Democrats repeatedly tried to follow suit Thursday night and Friday morning, but they couldn’t overcome the objections of a single lawmaker, Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky, that the $10 billion bill would add to the budget deficit. The bill would extend unemployment payments to laid-off workers and provide them with subsidies to help pay health premiums through the COBRA program. It would extend funding for highway projects and spare doctors from a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments. It would extend a small business loan program, the National Flood Insurance Program and the copyright license used by satellite television providers…”

Child Poverty – South Africa

Poverty hits SA children, February 26, 2010, Times Live: “A new OECD working paper on trends in poverty and income inequality in South Africa has found that more than half of all South Africans (54%) are poor but, among children below 10, as many as two out of three are poor. ‘This implies that among all poor South Africans, one in three is a child,’ said the OECD in the report that was released on Thursday. These high values are based on the national poverty line of 515 rand a month, or about US$ 4 a day, which is used for national policy making. International comparisons of lower-income countries often use the World Bank poverty line which is US$2 a day. Under this lower line, the aggregate poverty rate in South Africa is 30% but if the standard OECD poverty line, which is below half the average income, the poverty rate is 26%…”

Justice Department Indigent Defense Program

Justice Dept. to launch Indigent Defense Program, By Ari Shapiro, February 26, 2010, National Public Radio: “The U.S. criminal justice system typically pits defense lawyers against government prosecutors. Now, defense lawyers who represent poor clients are about to get some major help from their usual adversaries. The Justice Department is on the verge of launching a new program to help low-income people receive legal help. It’s called the Access to Justice initiative, and one of the top constitutional lawyers in the country is taking a leave of absence from Harvard to spearhead the project. Although there has been no official announcement, a Justice spokesperson has confirmed the plans. Professor Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law will begin work in Washington next week as senior counselor for Access to Justice. He will coordinate with judges and lawyers across the country with the goal of finding ways to help people who cannot afford a lawyer – a circumstance known in legal terms as indigent defense…”