Racial profiling laws yield data but few changes, By Daniel C. Vock, August 3, 2011, Stateline.org: “Eight years ago, Illinois began requiring police departments, including the state police force, to keep track of traffic stops to see whether their officers practiced racial profiling-stopping black or Hispanic motorists more often than whites because of their skin color. Now, a civil rights group wants a federal investigation of the Illinois state police based largely on the data collected under the law, which was sponsored by Barack Obama when he was a state senator. After examining the data, the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says state troopers ask to search the cars of black and Hispanic drivers more often than those of white drivers, in cases where police have no legal grounds to search the cars on their own without the driver’s consent. But state police are more than 2.5 times as likely to find illegal items (such as alcohol, drugs or stolen property) when searching the vehicles of whites compared to those of Hispanics. Alcohol is the most common item police find among all groups, the ACLU claims, but whites are the most likely to have drugs and drug paraphernalia. The complaint is not focused on specific allegations of prejudiced behavior. What it alleges is that state officials hardly look at racial profiling information at all. The law requiring the collection of traffic stop data created a panel to review the results, but the slots were never filled and the group never met…”
Day: August 4, 2011
State Cuts to Unemployment Benefits
- Unemployment benefits shrink in some states, By Alana Semuels, August 4, 2011, Los Angeles Times: “Several states are making sharp reductions in unemployment insurance benefits, accelerating the number of jobless people running out of government assistance, according to a report from the National Employment Law Project. The cuts come as states’ unemployment insurance funds face insolvency, forcing many to borrow more money from the federal government. At the end of July, 30 states had borrowed a total of $40 billion to pay for unemployment insurance benefits, and they must begin paying interest on those loans Sept. 30. Cuts to the programs take away a lifeline for unemployed workers, the advocacy group said…”
- Unemployment benefits at risk, By Tami Luhby, August 4, 2011, CNNMoney.com: “The debt ceiling agreement did little to help the millions of jobless Americans whose federal unemployment benefits are set to run out early next year. The unemployed had hoped that the debt ceiling deal would include an extension to file for federal unemployment benefits. But in the end, policymakers focused only on cutting federal spending. As it stands, most people laid off today will not be eligible to collect federal unemployment benefits after their state benefits run out. And those collecting federal benefits could find themselves cut off before receiving the full number of weeks for which they are now eligible…”
Lifeline Phone Subsidy Program
Regulators say low-income phone program is hemorrhaging millions, By Fred Hiers, August 2, 2011, Ocala Star-Banner: “Federal and state regulators are working to fix a program they believe is making millions of dollars in unauthorized payments to low-income phone customers. Lifeline is a federal program, paid for by all phone users, which subsidizes low-income people in order to help pay for their phone installations and use. The limit is one phone. The subsidy goes to the phone service provider. The annual subsidy for customers is nearly $162 per year. According to a Florida Public Service Commission report, 642,129 Floridians were subscribing to the program as of June 20, 2010. Other states also administer the program. The problem is, some customers are receiving payments for more than one phone, regulators say…”