Rhode Island passes bill to guarantee rights of homeless people, By Jason McLure, June 13, 2012, Chicago Tribune: “Rhode Island’s governor is expected to sign into law the first “Homeless Bill of Rights” in the United States as early as next week, formally banning discrimination against homeless people and affirming their equal access to jobs, housing and services. The legislation, which won final approval by the state Senate on Wednesday, bucks a national trend among municipalities toward outlawing behaviors associated with homelessness such as eating, sleeping and panhandling in public spaces. Among other steps, the Rhode Island law would guarantee homeless people the right to use public sidewalks, parks and transportation as well as public buildings . . .”
Author: irpstaff
Medicaid Enrollment and Health Care Costs – Minnesota
Medicaid numbers spike in Minnesota, By Warren Wolfe, June 13, 2012, Minneapolis Star Tribune: “The number of Minnesotans on Medicaid shot up at nearly twice the national rate over the past two years, while state costs soared by 40 percent to surpass $4 billion for the first time. There now are about 733,000 Minnesotans in the state-federal health insurance program for the poor — called Medical Assistance in Minnesota — an increase of 125,000 in two years, according to a new federal study. While the weakened economy explains most of the rising Medicaid rolls in other states, much of Minnesota’s increase came when Gov. Mark Dayton expanded the program by 80,000 people last year under an option in the federal Affordable Care Act, the law now facing U.S. Supreme Court scrutiny. Nationwide, the massive and growing Medicaid budget — $450 billion this year . . .”
Jobless Claims
Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Rose Last Week, by Alex Kowalski, June 14, 2012, Businessweek: “More Americans applied for jobless benefits and consumer prices dropped by the most in three years, giving the Federal Reserve room to spur an economy that’s generating little growth or inflation. Claims for unemployment insurance payments unexpectedly climbed by 6,000 to 386,000 in the week ended June 9, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The cost of living fell 0.3 percent in May, led by the biggest decrease in gasoline prices in three years, the agency also reported. Stocks rose as investors increased bets Fed policy makers meeting next week will take additional steps to boost growth and cut an unemployment rate stuck above 8 percent since February 2009. . .”