Page 46 - Poverty Issues News Today

A program is looking for Montanans to represent people in courts on tribal reservations, who often lack access to legal assistance when they need it. The Tribal Advocate Incubator Project wants to train lay advocates - that is, people who are not lawyers by profession - to represent folks in tribal courts across the state. "Tribal lay advocates will represent tribal members in tribal court regarding civil legal matters," said Valerie Falls Down, tribal advocacy coordinator fo...

A new report shows financial supports made available in the pandemic have led to a direct reduction in poverty in Massachusetts. From expanded unemployment benefits and Child Tax Credit payments to increases in food assistance, the report said targeted benefits have shown there is a way to cut childhood poverty in half. Nancy Wagman, research and Kids Count director for the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and the reports author, contended todays poverty and racial disparities are partly...

A Connecticut health-care workers union is raising concerns over what it calls a "staffing crisis" in addiction services that led the state to close treatment admissions at two hospitals for the first time. Members of SEIU District 1199 New England said the closures in late December at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown and Blue Hills Treatment Center in Hartford, disconnected people from medically managed detoxification services, the highest level of addiction care. T...

Advocates for a single-payer, government-funded health-care system in California are vowing to fight another day, after Assembly Bill 1400 was pulled Monday for lack of votes. The bill would have allowed people to ditch their private insurance, something opponents say amounts to a government takeover that would require big tax increases. However, Assembly member Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, the main author of the bill, said the high costs in the existing, private-insurance system put coverage out of ...

A new toolkit for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade provides resources for teaching about issues of consent and healthy relationships. The Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health created the toolkit to help parents, caregivers, educators and young students understand how to start those conversations. Jamie Erdheim, consent culture coordinator with MOASH, said its important for children as young as 4 and 5 to start learning about issues of consent, personal boundaries, bodily au...

A majority of Washington health care workers report feeling burned out in the pandemic, according to the latest survey. Now, legislation aims to address their concerns by ensuring safe staffing levels, as well as rest and meal breaks. Companion bills in the state House and Senate create staffing ratios for different departments within a hospital. ...

During February, Americans are urged to pay closer attention to their heart health. Experts say new findings suggest it can keep your brain in better shape, and South Dakota has an opportunity to help with prevention. With American Heart Month underway, the American Heart Associations statistics update said in the past decade, global death rates from Alzheimers and other forms of dementia have grown at a faster pace than heart-disease death rates. ...

Advocates for criminal-justice reform are continuing their effort to change the system during Oregons upcoming legislative session. Senate Bill 1510 aims to reduce interactions with law enforcement - a move that proponents see as vital for the safety of people of color. Babak Zolfaghari-Azar is a community advocate and board member for the Partnership for Safety and Justice. ...

First in a two-part series this week on access to healthy school meals. The pandemic has put a spotlight on food insecurity, including access to healthy meals in public schools. In North Dakota, community organizers warn about possible changes to nutritional standards for these meals. ...

With tax season underway, Massachusetts groups are raising awareness about the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), an IRS-sponsored program to help people file their income taxes correctly and maximize their refunds. Community Action agencies and other groups have served more than 300,000 Massachusetts residents, helping them get more than $600 million in refunds. Alayna Van Tassel, executive director of the Office of Economic Empowerment for the Massachusetts State Treasurers Offi...