LYME, N.H. – At annual town meetings across New Hampshire this week, citizens are voting on resolutions supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn a U.S. Supreme Court decision called Citizens United that has allowed billions of dollars from special interests to flow into election campaigns.

Rick Bourdon went to his transfer station in Lyme to collect signatures on a petition to get the measure on the agenda, because that's where people congregate in small towns. He said most people were very willing to support it.

"One fellow said this is the most important problem,” he related. “This sits above everything else, because we won't get anywhere on any other issue until we solve this one."

Bourdon said the voice vote in favor was overwhelming at Tuesday's meeting, about 140 to 2. Twenty-seven of 32 towns passed similar resolutions Tuesday.

The resolution urges the New Hampshire state Legislature to call on Congress to advance a constitutional amendment to regulate political spending and clarify that constitutional rights are for human beings only, not corporations or unions.

Ellen Read said she pushed hard in her town of Newmarket to get the town council to take up a similar resolution.

"There have been several Supreme Court decisions that have taken power away from people in our government and given it over to monied organizations, powerful organizations,” she said. “And we believe that in a democracy you shouldn't have to have money to have a voice in your government."

The council vote was unanimous in favor.

Jonah Minkoff-Zern, who works with Public Citizen's Democracy Is for People campaign, supported residents' efforts to get resolutions on town meeting agendas, and was pleased with how the votes are going.

"The large number of resolutions passing in New Hampshire towns send a clear message to the New Hampshire Legislature that they, too, should support a constitutional amendment," he said.

Another two dozen towns with resolutions to get money out of politics will hold their annual town meetings on Friday.

Polls show the call to overturn Citizens United is popular across the political spectrum in New Hampshire.

Seventy-two percent of residents have said they oppose the Citizens United ruling, and 69 percent would support a constitutional amendment that limits corporate campaign contributions and spending.

Sixteen other states, including all the other New England states, have already called for such an amendment.

UPDATE: As of March 18, 47 towns passed the resolution and 12 defeated it -- a 4 to 1 margin in favor.


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North Dakota is no stranger to public pension debates. States face pressure to keep retirement systems well-funded and new data show most Americans place great value on such benefits for both government and private-sector workers.

According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, 86% of Americans believe all workers, not just those employed by state and local governments, should have a pension. There are similar approval levels when asked how important public pensions are in recruiting teachers and public safety workers.

Dan Doonan, executive director of the institute, suggested it is not too surprising to see the results.

"Pensions, along with other benefits, are part of creating that culture of careers and not jobs," Doonan explained.

Starting in January, North Dakota will close its main public pension plan for new hires, who will instead be offered a 401(k)-style benefit. The move followed debate over whether it was the right way to address a $1.9 billion unfunded liability. Backers argued it protects benefits for existing workers and taxpayers but skeptics contended it makes it harder to attract workers to the public sector.

Doonan noted the survey results overlap with the idea maintaining an experienced public-sector workforce is a good thing for community members and not just the employee and employer.

"In general, when public services are done well, they're often invisible, right?" Doonan emphasized. "We want good roads, we want safe communities, and I think Americans understand the role of having career public servants in terms of delivering those outcomes."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said state and local governments employ about 20 million workers, which represents about 13% of the U.S. workforce.

As Nebraskans anticipate the upcoming holiday season, some might also be looking ahead to the 2025 tax season, which will include a new tax credit for family caregivers, including those looking after military veterans.

Starting in 2025, a new state law provides eligible family caregivers up to $2,000 in tax credits for out-of-pocket expenses. The cap increases to $3,000 if the family member receiving care has dementia or is a veteran.

Jina Ragland, associate state director of advocacy and outreach for AARP Nebraska, said those who served have access to care benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs but added it sometimes is not enough.

"Because some of their service-related illnesses or injuries, they extend beyond what they're able to afford, or maybe what the coverage is through the VA," Ragland explained.

She pointed out it puts more pressure on loved ones assisting them on a daily basis. During National Veterans and Military Families Month, supporters of the new law hope more families will see if they are eligible. Ragland noted while it helps reduce the financial strain, greater awareness of resources is also needed, to help all family caregivers avoid burnout.

Ragland emphasized one example is providing caregivers information about where to turn for guidance when a loved one is first discharged from a hospital. She argued entities at all levels need to maintain progress, because their outreach shows a demand for solutions.

"Over 90% of Nebraskans say that they want to age in place with the lowest level of care," Ragland reported. "In order to do that, oftentimes we have to rely on family caregivers."

There are no age restrictions to qualify for the tax credit. As for eligibility factors, the law includes an income limit of $50,000 dollars for individuals and $100,000 for married couples.

Health care providers and schools across North Carolina could soon benefit from tax credits to help projects get off the ground and serve thousands of people.

The Self-Help Ventures Fund, a North Carolina-based nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunities in underserved communities, recently secured a $50 million boost from the U.S. Treasury's New Markets Tax Credit program.

Sarah Brennan, structured finance sector leader at the fund, said the tax credits will support critical community projects that otherwise could not move forward, driving development where it's needed most.

"It can be really difficult for a community facility to pull together the millions of dollars in equity that they would need to get traditional financing," Brennan explained. "They are able to go forth and build projects that literally would not have been able to happen otherwise."

She noted the fund will roll out the credits across six to eight projects in the next few years, with a focus on health and education facilities in North Carolina and several other states where they operate. The organization pointed out how transformative the investments can be, funding essential services such as health clinics and schools for areas most in need.

Emma Haney, director of business development and project management for Self-Help Ventures Fund's real estate team, said with construction costs soaring, the need for this type of funding is more critical than ever.

"Most projects that you could have filled the gap with $5 million in allocation or around that much, you might need $10 million or $15 million now," Haney pointed out. "It's just sort of an exponential increase in the need per project with a finite amount of resources."

With the latest allocation, Self-Help has administered tax credits totaling $483 million. The organization hopes Congress will expand the tax credit program to keep up with demand, as each dollar plays a vital role in lifting underserved communities.


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