Economic Policy/Justice / Public News Service

PoliChic Engagement Fund says it's critical Texans make sure lawmakers are voting in their public interest. (JHVEPhoto/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Texans encouraged to use their voices during current legislative session

Many Texans feel strongly, one way or another, about the proposed school voucher bill before state lawmakers. Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed a plan to …

High school students are getting a head start on careers in the

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Program trains underserved high school students for 'data economy'

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Virginia News Connection reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News…

Some 557 Colorado schools serving more than 206,293 students are projected to be affected by a proposed $12 billion in cuts to federal school meal funding. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Blowback on GOP's proposed cuts to school meal programs

Children's advocates are crying foul after House Republicans called for $12 billion in cuts to school meal programs, including the Community …

The Department of Education has reduced its workforce by nearly 50%, laying off approximately 1,300 employees, with an additional 600 either accepting separation packages or being dismissed during their probationary period. (Photo courtesy of OEA)

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Ohio educators alarmed over proposed elimination of DOE

The potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education has sparked concern in Ohio. Threatened moves by the Trump administration's so-called …

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 325-thousand Marylanders are members of a union. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, March 17, 2025

Report: Unions surge as Trump admin takes aim at labor watchdog

Since 2021, union elections in Maryland and across the country have more than doubled - and union election wins are at a 15-year high. But …

Oregon's older population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, with more than 45% of older adults projected to be people of color by 2050. (moodboard/Adobe Stock)

Monday, March 17, 2025

Bill would offer a blueprint for an aging Oregon

Oregon's population, along with the rest of the country, is getting older. Within 10 years there will be more Oregonians age 65 and older than …

Expanded oil and gas subsidies, included in current versions of upcoming federal tax legislation, would support a massive expansion of LNG projects to more than double national export capacity by 2030. (Jeeraphun/Adobe Stock)

Religious leaders gather in TX to fight oil and gas subsidies

Forty religious leaders from different denominations gathered in Texas this week to call for an end to fossil-fuel subsidies and expansion of related …

Family caregivers spend on average more than $7,200 annually - 26% of their income - on out-of-pocket expenses. (Adobe Stock)

Doubling down on care: Ohio’s push for caregiver tax relief

In a significant development for family caregivers across America, AARP is spearheading initiatives at both federal and state levels to provide tax …

The Grocery Tax Relief Act will eliminate the state grocery tax but have no effect on county and municipal grocery taxes. (Drazen/Adobe Stock)

AR food tax could be going away

Organizations working to fight food insecurity across Arkansas support two bills before state legislators. The Grocery Tax Relief Act would repeal …

During the Great Depression, the U.S. enacted the

Research: Mass deportations don't create more U.S. jobs

As nationwide deportation efforts continue, new research examined the labor market of a past president to help forecast what could happen if …

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled four times, starting with the DeRolph decision in 1997, that the state's method of funding schools violates the state constitution, prompting ongoing efforts to reform the system. (jovannig/Adobe Stock)

Multiyear fight for fair school funding in Ohio continues

Despite being four years into Ohio's six-year Fair School Funding Plan, it has yet to receive full funding. Advocates of the plan are pushing for …

Nearly a third of working-age Washington households have earnings which do not meet the minimum<br />cost of living. (Johannes/Adobe Stock)

Bills aim to revamp WA's regressive tax codes

A package of legislation in Olympia aims to reduce growing wealth inequality by reforming Washington's tax code. With the nation's second-most …

Faculty unionization in higher education has increased 7.5% from 2012 to 2024. (Adobe Stock)

MD bill may give faculty the right to unionize

Professors on college campuses across the country are unionizing at increasingly higher rates and a bill in the Maryland General Assembly may help the…

Workers covered by a union contract earn 10.2% more than nonunionized counterparts on average, and are more likely to have employer-provided health and retirement benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Report: 1943 law suppressed Colorado union membership rates

A Colorado law passed in 1943 amid intense big-business and white-supremacist campaigns to block worker organizing has suppressed unionization in the …

One of several major concerns expressed in a statement signed by nearly 1,000 American political scientists is the Trump administration's transferal of some federal responsibilities to people who are

'Democracy is not a business,' warns MT political scientist

Nearly 1,000 political scientists from across the U.S., including Montana, have signed a statement expressing how they feel the Trump …

MO advocates join fight against corporate influence in agriculture

Advocates for small independent farmers in Missouri and around the nation are sounding the alarm about the effects of corporate agriculture on farmers…

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has dropped lawsuits against major financial groups, including Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, and Rocket Homes. (Adobe Stock)

VA advocates chart new path without consumer rights watchdog

Consumer advocates in Virginia and around the country are trying to chart a new path forward as a federal consumer rights watchdog is being effectivel…

Farmers and ranchers say they feel uncertain about their futures because of executive orders that have impacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Lightfield Studios/Adobe Stock)

Federal funding freeze impacts AR farmers

Farmers and ranchers in Arkansas are voicing frustration and concern surrounding funding freezes and layoffs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture…

In some areas, Medicaid funding pays a portion of the school nurse's salary. (Adobe Stock)

Medicaid cuts could threaten schools supports in NJ

As federal government spending cuts loom, advocates for keeping Medicaid intact are calling attention to how the funding is used in public schools…

Data, history show mass deportations harm U.S. economy

As nationwide deportation efforts continue, new research examined the labor market of a past president to help forecast what could happen if …

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, in 2023, 12% of people in West Virginia prisons were over age 55, and the average age of state prisoners was 39. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Bill to increase penalties could overpopulate WV prisons

A bill pending in the West Virginia Legislature would increase the length of penalties for "serious" felony convictions, but critics have said it …

FL advocates push back against corporate dominance in agriculture

Advocates for small independent farmers and ranchers in Florida are sounding the alarm about the effects of corporate agriculture on their land and lo…

During a recent American Federation of Teachers-Texas town hall meeting, educators from around the state, including former Department of Education employees, said they are confused by some of the job and spending cuts already made. (ahmed/Adobe Stock AI)

TX educators eye changes at the Department of Education

Educators in Texas are concerned about the Trump administration's plans to dismantle the Department of Education. One of the Department's primary …

Colorado's 20 Community Health Centers provide primary care to 857,000 patients, employ over 7,500 people and contribute $1.7 billion to the state's economy each year. (Adobe Stock)

Cuts to Medicaid considered to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts

The budget resolution recently passed by the U.S. House calls for cutting $2 trillion in government spending to extend tax cuts passed during the …

About 13% of Montana's workers were represented by unions in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Adobe Stock)

MT union workers celebrate failure of anti-union bill

Union workers across Montana are celebrating the death of a bill which would have given employees the right to choose whether to join a union when hir…

The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, employs about 120 people, many of whom are facing layoffs. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska USDA workers face unprecedented layoffs

Mass layoffs by the Trump administration are cutting into essential services across the federal government. In Nebraska, that includes overseeing …

Scranton received $68.7 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. (Brandon/Adobe Stock)

Scranton mayor puts bipartisan infrastructure law funding to work

A Pennsylvania city is leveraging funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve road safety, housing, and more. The largest …

Volunteer lobbyists next Tuesday will encourage legislators to improve the infrastructure needed to address homelessness across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Volunteer lobbyists to press Colorado lawmakers on homelessness

Coloradans who want to help move the needle on homelessness can still sign up for a lobbying day next Tuesday at the State Capitol. Cathy Alderman…

Ohio is home to more than 83,000 federal employees. All of them reportedly recently received an email from the Office of Personnel Management, asking for details on what they accomplish at work. (Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons)

DOGE, OPM demands shake up federal workers in OH and beyond

The federal workforce in Ohio numbers more than 83,000 and many say they're reeling after weeks of job cuts and a demand from Elon Musk, his …

A total of 195,972 Arkansas households are impoverished and another 366,907 are defined as ALICE. (Andrii/Adobe Stock)

More AR families rely on Child Tax Credit

By Wesley Brown for the Arkansas Delta Informer.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Arkansas News Service reporting for The Arkansas Delta Informer-Wi…

With the closure of the CFPB, new rules to curb excessive bank overdraft fees and prevent medical debt from limiting creditworthy borrowers from accessing credit will not take effect. (Nattakorn/Adobe Stock) <br />

OR consumers face more financial risks with CFPB closure

Seven members of Oregon's congressional delegation have signed a letter demanding protection for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to enable …

Ohio's agriculture industry contributes more than $124 billion annually to the state's economy, supporting more than one in eight jobs statewide. (stockbusters/Adobe Stock)

JD Vance’s agriculture agenda: What’s next for Ohio farmers?

With President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance now in office, Ohio's farming community is watching closely to see how their policies could …

More than 20% of Washington state's population gets health coverage through Medicaid. (winnievinzence/Adobe Stock)

Nurse practitioner: Medicaid cuts could 'devastate' WA patients, providers

Proposed Medicaid cuts could seriously affect Washington hospitals and health care workers. President Donald Trump and House Republicans are …

President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imports from China earlier this month and the Chinese government imposed 15% counter tariffs on goods imported from the U.S. into China. (Adobe Stock)

WI farmer shares firsthand experience with Trump tariffs

By Olivia Herken for the Wisconsin Independent.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Wisconsin Indep…

Federal assistance for farmers recovering from natural disasters such as droughts, floods and wildfires is uncertain without a new Farm Bill. (sima/Adobe Stock)

Farming advocates: Frozen funds hurting farmers in MO, nation

More than 130 farmers, ranchers and advocates gathered on Capitol Hill last week, calling for action on the federal funding freeze and farm bill…

Diesel exhaust represents about 80-percent of the potential cancer risk from all air toxics in the Puget Sound area. (Natalia Bratslavsky/Adobe Stock)

Shore power bill would improve WA air quality, cut emissions

New legislation would transition more ocean-going container ships to run off electricity instead of diesel while they are docked at Washington ports…

Immigrant farmworkers make up an estimated 73% of agriculture workers in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Challenges facing farmers in Colorado, across U.S.

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Public employers will no longer be able to negotiate contracts with unions after 2025. (Adobe Stock)

Utah enacts controversial labor union law

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has signed House Bill 267 into law, a controversial measure that takes away the collective bargaining rights of public employee …

Each year, visitors flock to Monte Vista in Colorado's San Luis Valley for a chance to see Greater Sandhill Cranes. (Adobe Stock)

Connecting the recreation dots with a two mile bike and pedestrian trail

By Ilana Newman for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabora…

Manuel Gago Silcox, co-director of the Virginia-based Worker Justice Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center, said less-mechanized crops such as tomatoes or apple orchards rely on migrant farmworkers. (Adobe Stock)

Migrant farmworkers in VA threatened by mass deportation policy

President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders meant to jump-start his mass deportation policy but the policy may negatively affect mi…

Last year, Ohio's food bank networks provided more than 244 million meals to households representing nearly 16 million people -- including over 4.8 million children and 3.2 million seniors -- a number expected to rise if federal SNAP benefits are reduced. (HASPhotos/Adobe Stock)

OH food banks face fed funding uncertainty, DeWine budget cuts

Recent federal executive orders have left many organizations in Ohio navigating uncertainty, particularly when it comes to funding for essential …

Research from the New Economy Project finds New Yorkers paid $1.7 billion in overdraft fees during the early years of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

NYers brace for effects of higher bank fees, dismantling CFPB

Some New York members of Congress are trying to repeal bank overdraft fee regulations. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created a rule …

During a hearing on House Bill 1322, Rep. Jake Teshka, R-South Bend, highlighted Bitcoin's strong performance since 2009 and stressed the state would carefully assess risks before making any decisions. (Adobe stock)

IN weighs Bitcoin bet in state investments

Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill to allow state funds to invest in Bitcoin. House Bill 1322 moved forward to the full House for debate. Rep…

The Texas Department of Agriculture hopes to reach children in rural areas who haven't previously participated in Summer Meal Programs because of transportation barriers. Eligible sponsors in those areas can apply to distribute meals outside of the required group settings and meal service times. (chomplearn_2001/Adobe Stock)

Sponsors needed for TX Dept. of Ag summer feeding programs

The Texas Department of Agriculture is accepting sponsor applications for its 2025 Summer Meal Programs. The Summer Food Service Program and the …

More than 60% of adults in the United States report using prescription drugs, with nearly half taking four or more. (Burlingham/Adobe Stock)

MI lawmakers propose pharmaceutical watchdog legislation

Lawmakers in Michigan have introduced a package of bills designed to lower costs and expand health care access. Senate Bill 3 would create a …

Around 72% of Montanans believe workers' unions help Montana's economy, according to a January poll from the bipartisan firm RABA Research. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: 80% of Montanans oppose reduced workers’ rights

A January survey of Montanans showed a large majority support workers' rights, even as several bills that could affect them move through the state …

The percentage of adults in the U.S. between ages 25 and 64 with college degrees, certificates or industry-recognized certifications has increased 17 percentage points since 2008, according to Lumina Foundation. (Adobe Stock)<br />

MA boosts high degree attainment rate but students question affordability

Massachusetts remains a national leader in educational degree attainment, according to a new report. The latest data from Lumina Foundation showed 63…

Community action agencies in Massachusetts are requesting continued funding for programs such as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which helps return millions of dollars to Massachusetts families and their local economies. (Adobe Stock)

MA community action agencies aim to restore antipoverty funds

Community action agencies in Massachusetts are asking state lawmakers to boost antipoverty programs as federal aid remains in limbo. Gov. Maura …

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