Poverty Dispatch - April 28, 2008

IRP compiles and distributes Poverty Dispatches, links to Web-based news items dealing with poverty, welfare reform, and related topics twice a week. Each Dispatch lists links to current news in popular print media. Persons wishing to receive Poverty Dispatches by e-mail should send a request to rsnell@ssc.wisc.edu.

Today's Topics in the News:

• State TANF Spending - Hawaii
• State Medicaid Spending - New Jersey, North Carolina, California
• States and Federal Medicaid Rules
• Child Welfare System - Oklahoma
• States and Budget Deficits
• Healthy Indiana Plan
• Editorials: State Childrens' Health Insurance Program Rules
• Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program
• Food Prices and Food Assistance Programs
• Utility Cutoffs and Assistance Programs
• The Working Poor and Predatory Lending
• Opinions: Low-wage Workers and Transportation
• Opinion: Privatization of Social Services - Texas
• No Child Left Behind and Testing - California
• State Minimum Wages - Missouri, Illinois
• Indiana Voter Identification Law

Today's Articles:

Note: All links are external; some links may require a free registration at the host site (e.g., New York Times, Chicago Tribune).
Article links will open in new browser window.

State TANF Spending - Hawaii

Lingle restricted from spending $22M in federal welfare money. (HAWAII) Read Article
By Derrick DePledge, Honolulu Advertiser. April 24, 2008.
 

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State Medicaid Spending - New Jersey, North Carolina, California

Social services chief: Fees could push NJ poor to skip care. (NEW JERSEY) Read Article
By Tom Hester Jr. (Associated Press), Newsday. April 28, 2008.
 

Medicaid shift shows government working at its best. (NORTH CAROLINA) Read Article
By Michael L. Walden, News and Observer. April 25, 2008.
 

Prescription for loss. (CALIFORNIA) Read Article
By Joe Goldeen, Stockton Record. April 27, 2008.
 

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States and Federal Medicaid Rules

Legislators prod Congress on Medicaid, Real ID. Read Article
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org. April 28, 2008.
 

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Child Welfare System - Oklahoma

National panel faults Oklahoma County system. (OKLAHOMA) Read Article
By Nolan Clay and Randy Ellis, The Oklahoman. April 27, 2008.
 

Why some kids in Oklahoma Co. may be more at risk. (OKLAHOMA) Read Article
By Randy Ellis, The Oklahoman. April 28, 2008.
 

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States and Budget Deficits

23 states face budget gaps in '09. Read Article
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org. April 25, 2008.
 

Many states appear to be in recession as deficits grow. Read Article
By Andrew Welsh-Huggins (Associated Press), News and Observer. April 25, 2008.
 

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Healthy Indiana Plan

Health plan aids 6,000 in Indiana. (INDIANA) Read Article
By Niki Kelly, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. April 27, 2008.
 

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Editorials: State Childrens' Health Insurance Program Rules

Medicaid and mirrors. (Editorial) Read Article
Editorial, Bangor Daily News. April 25, 2008.
 

Hurdles to insuring children. (Editorial) Read Article
Editorial, New York Times. April 25, 2008.
 

NY didn't abandon kids. (Editorial) Read Article
Editorial, Newsday. April 28, 2008.
 

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Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program

Nutritional changes to WIC program will allow low-income mothers to buy fruits and vegetables. Read Article
By Susan Bowerman, Los Angeles Times. April 28, 2008.
 

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Food Prices and Food Assistance Programs

Food support tightens here as feds stall. (WISCONSIN) Read Article
By Pat Schneider, Capital Times. April 25, 2008.
 

Tentative deal reached in Congress on Farm Bill. Read Article
By David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times. April 26, 2008.
 

Woman urging officials to change assistance criteria. (OHIO) Read Article
By Tierra Palmer, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. April 27, 2008.
 

Food Bank feeding more as prices soar, Farm Bill lingers. (TENNESSEE) Read Article
By Zack McMillin, Memphis Commercial Appeal. April 25, 2008.
 

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Utility Cutoffs and Assistance Programs

Unpaid utility bills soar as economy sags. Read Article
By Judy Keen, USA Today. April 24, 2008.
 

Cutoffs and pleas for aid rise with heat costs. Read Article
By Erik Eckhom, New York Times. April 25, 2008.
 

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The Working Poor and Predatory Lending

As people get further behind, they turn to places like cash advance and pawn shops. (MICHIGAN) Read Article
By Dave Alexander, Muskegon Chronicle. April 27, 2008.
 

Utility scam leaves struggling mother searching for answers. (MICHIGAN) Read Article
By Clayton Hardiman, Muskegon Chronicle. April 27, 2008.
 

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Opinions: Low-wage Workers and Transportation

Diamond lanes for the rich. (Opinion) Read Article
By Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times. April 26, 2008.
 

Getting poor back to work. (Opinion) Read Article
By Pat McCourt, Southwest Florida News-Press. April 26, 2008.
 

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Opinion: Privatization of Social Services - Texas

Texas' privatizing quagmire. (Opinion) Read Article
By John Young, Waco Tribune. April 25, 2008.
 

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No Child Left Behind and Testing - California

Too much testing? (CALIFORNIA) Read Article
By Paul Thissen, Contra Costa Times. April 27, 2008.
 

Schools reclassify students, pass test under federal law. (CALIFORNIA) Read Article
By Laurel Rosenhall and Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee. April 27, 2008.
 

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State Minimum Wages - Missouri, Illinois

Missouri House rejects bill to cut minimum wages. (MISSOURI) Read Article
By Jason Noble, Kansas City Star. April 24, 2008.
 

Raising the minimum wage for teens could hurt. (ILLINOIS) Read Article
By Amber Krosel, Daily Herald. April 28, 2008.
 

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Indiana Voter Identification Law

Supreme Court upholds voter identification law in Indiana. (INDIANA) Read Article
By David Stout, New York Times. April 28, 2008.
 

Supreme Court upholds Indiana voter ID law. (INDIANA) Read Article
By Maureen Groppe, Indianapolis Star. April 28, 2008.
 

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Note: All links are external; some links may require a free registration at the host site (e.g., New York Times, Chicago Tribune).