skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

AR Group Urges Congress to Reinstate Expanded Child Tax Credit

play audio
Play

Monday, December 5, 2022   

An Arkansas nonprofit is adding its voice to the calls for Congress to bring back the expanded Child Tax Credit for families in place during the pandemic. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families said it could be included in the end-of-year spending package.

When the expanded Child Tax Credit was in effect, it helped boost millions of families above the Federal Poverty Level, with a few hundred dollars a month per child.

Bruno Showers, senior policy analyst at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said policymakers have the power to help address childhood poverty once again. And he thinks Congress should not pass corporate tax breaks unless it also expands tax credits for families.

"The census recently released their poverty measurements, and childhood poverty actually fell to its lowest level ever because of these Child Tax Credits, the expansion," Showers pointed out. "We think that shows that this is an important step to combat child poverty, which we know in Arkansas, in particular, more than one in four children every year are shown to grow up in poverty."

When it was in effect, the expanded Child Tax Credit provided monthly payments of $250 to $300 per child to families, depending on the child's age. Without the expanded program, an estimated 223,000 kids in Arkansas miss out on the full Child Tax Credit. Opponents in Congress argued the credit contributes to inflation.

Showers acknowledged inflation is taking a toll on families, and said the Child Tax Credit helps by keeping more money in parents' pockets to spend on necessities. He noted it is up to Congress to make it fully refundable, so even families with low or no income can get the full amount of the credit.

"Most families in Arkansas use that tax credit to buy food, to pay for utilities, essential bills," Showers explained. " Gas and electric, and also on rent or mortgage payments. So, this really helps families make ends meet, and we think it should be a top priority for Congress."

He added the bill has bipartisan support, but not enough votes yet. Congress has until Dec. 16 to enact the final spending measure and pass another continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded, or risk a partial government shutdown.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021