- Millions of poor children could lose health care if Congress doesn’t act soon, By Natasha Rausch, December 1, 2017, Bloomberg: “States from Oregon to Massachusetts are scrambling to help millions of poor families whose children could lose coverage if Congress fails to reinstate a health insurance program that was approved two decades ago with bipartisan support…”
- Two months expired, Children’s Health Insurance awaits approval in a Congress mired in fighting, By Jessica Wehrman, November 29, 2017, Columbus Dispatch: “The federal program that provides health insurance to nearly 9 million low income children — including 219,000 in Ohio — expired two months ago, and states are beginning to panic that they’ll have to cut services to vulnerable families beginning early next year…”
- What happens if Congress doesn’t fund the health insurance used by almost 2 million kids and pregnant women in California?, By Sarah D. Wire, November 29, 2017, Los Angeles Times: “Unless Congress comes to an agreement fast, federal funding for a program that provides health insurance to 2 million California children and pregnant women will run out around the end of the year…”
- Congress has two months to act or 75,000 kids and pregnant women in Colorado will lose health insurance, By John Ingold, November 27, 2017, Denver Post: “In two months, when Alejandra Borunda’s 8-year-old son awakes screaming with one of his regular ear infections, she will pause before deciding whether to take him to a doctor…”
- Texas eager to avoid telling nearly a half-million kids — right before Christmas — that they’ve lost health coverage, By Jackie Wang, November 28, 2017, Dallas News: “Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration is trying to avoid mailing health insurance cancellation notices to nearly half a million children three days before Christmas. Unless it can get $90 million more in federal funding, though, Texas will end its Children’s Health Insurance Program on Jan. 31…”
Category: Politics
Payday Lending – Ohio
Curbs on payday loans a tough sell to Ohio lawmakers, By Jim Siegel, October 17, 2017, Columbus Dispatch: “When Ohio lawmakers pass a law that doesn’t come close to working as planned, they often fix it. Not so much with payday lending regulations approved nine years ago. Short-term lenders in Ohio today are charging the highest rates in the nation, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts. A Republican lawmaker who wants to change that says he’s getting pushback from GOP colleagues who control the legislature…”
Minimum Wage – St. Louis, MO
St. Louis gave minimum-wage workers a raise. On Monday, it was taken away, By Melissa Etehad, August 28, 2017, Los Angeles Times: “Ontario Pope has long struggled to stretch his McDonald’s paycheck to cover the basics and provide for his four young children. But even after more than nine years with the fast-food chain, the 31-year-old St. Louis man said he still lived with relatives or in motels, the fear of becoming homeless never far from his thoughts. Pope was hopeful when the city passed an ordinance in May that raised the minimum wage from the state’s $7.70 to $10…”