Stateline Stories

Safety Net Hospitals Won’t Be Docked in States That Don’t Expand Medicaid

Hospitals in non-expansion states feared they would be hit with bigger federal funding cuts than those in expansion states. HHS says that won’t happen – at least for the first two years.

Delay in Implementing Sequester Forces Deeper Unemployment Cuts

Unemployment benefits were already on the chopping block thanks to sequestration. But in three-dozen states, the pain for the long-term unemployed is even greater because states have been slow to enact the across-the-board federal cuts.

Illinois Follows Nevada with Highest Unemployment

State unemployment numbers fluctuate and once again Nevada tops the country, but the state that comes in second is new.

States Taking in More Refugees from Mideast and Asia

People fleeing persecution around the world settle in different states. Pennsylvania, for example, has become home for many refugees from Bhutan. What are the other high-destination states?

Congress May Reverse Some of Sequester’s Cuts to WIC

An effort to keep the federal government open could also deliver relief to pregnant women, mothers and young children in need of food.

Nevada No Longer Tops in Unemployment

California and Rhode Island have bumped Nevada from the top jobless spot in the nation with the highest unemployment rates among the states at 9.8 percent each. Nevada dipped to 9.7 percent.

Census: People with Disabilities More Likely to be Unemployed, Poorly Paid

New data from the Census Bureau shows a wage gap that persists even within particular occupations.

Health Care Cuts From Vaccinations to Research

Automatic cuts to federal health-care programs may make it more difficult for low-income Americans to get maternal and infant care, vaccinate their children, and receive treatment for mental illness.

Governors Promote Employment for People With Disabilities

A yearlong initiative at the National Governors Association examines the roles that states and businesses can play in finding jobs for people with disabilities.

Price tag of Sequester to States: $6 Billion

The belt-tightening from Washington begins in earnest, but states still aren’t sure just what the sequester will mean for them.

‘Cliff’ Deal Answers a Few Questions for States

Congress averted the much-feared “fiscal cliff” late Tuesday, passing a legislative package to be signed promptly by President Obama. The deal answered a few burning questions for state governments, but many still linger.

Election Year Brings Big Changes in State Policy

From battles in the legislatures to battles at the polls, Stateline reporters traveled all over the country in 2012 reporting on news from the states.

Jobless Benefits At Risk in Fiscal Cliff Debate

Amid the fervor over the fiscal cliff in Washington, there’s one federal program also facing a Dec. 31, 2012 deadline that if allowed to pass could cost unemployed Americans thousands of dollars and deprive states of crucial federal funding that’s helped them weather the worst of the Great Recession.

Concerns Mount Over State Handling of Mortgage Funds

As states spend the $2.5 billion awarded to them as part of the mortgage crisis settlement agreed to earlier this year, there’s growing concern funds aren’t going where help’s needed most.

In Massachusetts, Mobilizing Private Investment for Public Good

Massachusetts to tap private investors who want to help pay for money-saving public programs

Activists Aim to Bolster Rhode Island’s Homeless Bill of Rights

After passing the nation’s first Homeless Bill of Rights this year, Rhode Island activists are looking to defend its provisions and expand their campaign to other parts of the country.

States Struggle With Unemployment Funds Still in the Red

More than $26 billion in lingering debt and billions in mounting interest have forced a number of states to scale back unemployment benefits, raise taxes, tap general funds and even turn to the private bond market.

As Funds Dwindle, Governors Ask for Heating Help

Rising heating costs coupled with increased austerity in Congress could leave many low-income Americans out in the cold this winter, 13 state governors warned this week.

Welfare Waiver Proposal Hits Potential Roadblock

It took less than a month for the Obama administration’s move in July to grant states more flexibility in handling their welfare programs to shift from low-profile policy proposal to hot-button political issue that quickly permeated the presidential race.

One of Five Americans Struggling To Afford Food, Survey Finds

Despite record food stamp enrollment around the country and an economy considered to be on a modest upswing, the Great Recession is continuing to take its toll on many Americans, a Gallup survey found.

Heat Wave, Budget Cuts Strain Utility Safety Net

Budget cuts and a blistering hot spell wave left states short on cash this summer while tackling high energy demand. Now many worry about having enough heat when winter comes.

Still No Farm Bill, But More Assistance to Drought-Ravaged States

With Congress still at an impasse over the farm bill, the Obama Administration this week pledged $30 million more to aid farmers and ranchers hit hard by drought.

Safety Net Hospitals Imperiled by High Court Ruling

Hospitals that serve the poor thought they would be helped by the Affordable Care Act. Now it looks as if they will be hurt by it.

Pennsylvania Ends its General Assistance Program

Budget cuts force an end to Pennsylvania’s General Assistance Program

A Likely Reprieve for Food Stamp Program

The food stamp program has been facing the threat of deep reductions that would cut off benefits for millions in states all over the country. But a stalemate in Congress may stave off the pain.

Health Care Ruling Casts Doubts on Billions in State-Federal Funding

By making the federal health law’s Medicaid expansion optional for states, the U.S. Supreme Court has cast doubt on decades of established state-federal programs and billions of dollars in funding tied to them.

Are States’ Unemployment Insurance Loans Dragging Down Economies?

Most states are still paying off those unemployment benefits that went out to millions of those without work during the recession, but it’s the way some are doing it that raises concern.

States Consider Politically Fraught Welfare Waivers

States consider their options — and the politics — of the federal welfare waivers proposal.

As States Debate Medicaid Expansion, Maine Governor Looks to Cut Rolls

Maine Governor Paul LePage appears poised for a head-on collision with the Obama Administration over the issue of Medicaid eligibility. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s health care ruling last month — the federal government cannot take away existing Medicaid funds to penalize states that refuse to expan

Food Stamp Fight on Capitol Hill

Congress is considering dramatic changes in the way states administer their food stamp programs.

Why Are Welfare Rolls Flat, While the Food Stamp Program Grows Rapidly?

Advocates for the poor say welfare programs are ill-designed for hard economic times. Some Republicans, however, don’t see welfare as broken, but instead as a model for other social initiatives.

Competing Globally: Governors Give, Get Ideas

Politicians in hyper-partisan Washington may shun any proposal from across the aisle, but some governors aren’t shy about stealing a neighboring state’s idea and giving credit, regardless of their counterpart’s political party.

Is Federal Red Tape Tying Up Innovative Job Programs?

The federal government has made money available for a new approach to unemployment, but states have to jump through bureaucratic hoops to get it.

Grandparents Need More State Help to Raise Kids

More children are living with relatives or close family friends because their parents can no longer care for them, but most states aren’t doing enough to help, a new report says.

More States Pass Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients

Tennessee is the latest state set to require drug tests of those applying for welfare benefits. But while such proposals are popular in statehouses this year, their legality is still unclear.

Eight More States Cut from Unemployment Benefits

Over the weekend, more than 200,000 people in eight states saw their federal extended unemployment benefits end

Why Are Fewer Moms Applying for Safety Net Program?

You might expect that a federal program to help needy mothers buy food for their children would be seeing increased participation these days. But the opposite is true.

Pressured Companies Leave ALEC

Outrage in the black community over the conservative group’s support for gun laws and voter ID measures helped convince six well-known businesses to leave the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Computer Matching System Could Limit Safety Net 'Double Dipping'

When people move from one state to another, they often continue to collect the same benefits in both. Technology exists to control that problem — if states can be persuaded to use it.

Best of #StateReads: Most Florida 'Stand Your Ground' Cases Deadly

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

Food Stamp Program Under Fire

Recent cases of million-dollar lottery winners still collecting food stamps have given fodder to critics in states and in Congress who say the program is fraught with abuse.

Jobless in 15 States to Lose Extended Benefits

Lower state unemployment rates are usually a cause for celebration. But in as many as 15 states, that good news also has triggered the loss of unemployment benefits for thousands of workers starting next month.

Do 'Medical Home' Programs Save Money?

Experts disagree about the value of one of the most highly touted cost-control initiatives in state health policy.

Connecticut's Pro-Worker Measures Leave Business Feeling Resentful

HARTFORD - Last year, Democrats in Connecticut required private companies to give paid sick days to thousands of mostly low-wage employees. This year, they are considering raising the minimum wage from $8.25 to $9.75 an hour. Business interests are crying foul.

Congress Closes 'Strip Club Loophole'

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Congress has closed a loophole that allowed welfare recipients to spend their benefits at casinos and strip bars. But critics say states will end up spending more money to address a problem that is far from widespread.

Changes to Unemployment System Could Be in the Offing

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Contained in a tentative congressional deal to extend the federal payroll tax cut are possible changes to the unemployment insurance program in the states.

Official Homelessness Decreases but Advocates are Skeptical

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: New data run contrary to what many might think: Overall homelessness actually dropped from 2009 to 2011 in states with high unemployment and foreclosure rates.

Governors Seek Drug Testing as Condition of Job Training

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: With millions of Americans relying on taxpayer benefits to help them find new jobs, some governors want to start by screening out substance abuse problems.

25 States Have High Child Poverty Rates

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: While child poverty rates vary dramatically across the states, nationwide, one in five children lives in poverty - even in states that might surprise you.

Minimum Wage Set to Rise in Eight States

TODAY'S TAKE: Workers in eight states will see slightly larger paychecks beginning January 1, thanks to laws requiring minimum wages to rise with inflation.

Home Heating Help Slashed by $1 Billion

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Some residents of the Northeast will feel a deeper chill this winter as the result of a congressional decision to reduce by more than $1 billion the money sent to states to help low-income families pay their energy bills.

Overcoming a Backlog: How Texas Conquered a Mountain of Food Stamps Applications

PART THREE OF THREE: Not long ago, Texas was slower than any other state at telling people whether they could receive food stamps. Today, the state ranks near the top. Here's how Texas did it.

Anatomy of a Backlog: How Vermont Fell Behind on Adult Protective Services

PART TWO OF THREE: State systems to protect vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect are straining under growing caseloads and budgets that don't keep pace with the amount of work. Vermont's backlog of 733 open or unassigned cases highlights the depth of the challenges.

Report: Confusion Over 'Homelessness' Can Mean Less Food Aid to Needy

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: A little-known policy gives extra food stamp benefits to homeless people who live in shelters or pay to stay with a friend. But not all potential recipients know just what the definition of homelessness is.

Feds, States Target Food Stamp Fraud

TODAY'S TAKE: States can crack down on folks trying to sell their food stamps for cash on Facebook and other social media, the federal government is telling them, as part of a wider effort to curb food stamp fraud.

Food Banks Drawing Statewide Attention

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Emergency food banks are attracting increased interest from state officials this year, but what many of them would like is more money.

States Get Chance to Experiment With Child Welfare Systems

More states will be given the opportunity to try and transform their child welfare systems with the help of federal dollars, but not without federal strings.

Protests Mark Child Poverty Forums in Kansas

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Holding town hall meetings on ways to reduce childhood poverty might seem unlikely to offend anyone. But don't tell that to the folks in Kansas.

Oregon Food Stamp Use Surges, Leads Nation

TODAY'S TAKE: New data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that nearly a fifth of all Oregon residents received food stamps between 2009 and 2010, the highest rate in the country.

Poverty May Be Worse Than in 'Official' Count

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: A new "supplemental" measure of poverty suggests that the number of Americans living below the poverty line may be significantly higher than the figure reported officially by the U.S. Census Bureau in September.

States With Highest Poverty Levels Don't Always Have the Most on Welfare

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Some say new census data show that key parts of the social safety net are out of sync with where the need for it. Others say the numbers are suspect.

States Retool Food Stamp, Benefits Systems

A number of states used to make food stamp recipients pass a fingerprint test. Now all but one has stopped, to save on staff time and ease the burden on the clients.

Unemployment Overpayments: Fraud or Flawed System?

According to the federal government, states made errors in paying out 11 cents of every dollar they spent on jobless benefits last year. State officials say high error rates are largely due to clerical mistakes rather than government waste.

Obama Asks States to Encourage Entrepreneurs

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: The White House wants states to offer unemployment benefits to laid-off workers who are not looking for jobs. The catch: They must be in the process of setting up new businesses of their own.

Infographic: Poverty Up, Incomes Cown in Most States

Data released Thursday (September 22) by the U.S. Census Bureau show that 20 states saw a 20 percent or higher increase in the poverty rate from 2007 to 2010. Over the same time, median incomes fell by more than 7 percent in 16 states.

Fast Food and Food Stamps: Big Controversy, Small Program

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Rhode Island is joining a small group of states that allow homeless, elderly and disabled to use food stamps at certain fast food restaurants. Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan have similar programs.

Infographic: A Due Date Nears on Unemployment Trust Fund Loans

Starting September 30, states that borrowed money from the federal government to pay benefits to unemployed workers will have to begin paying interest on those loans.

Georgia Work$ Jobs Program Holds Lessons for Obama

President Obama next week is expected to propose a national version of Georgia Work$, an eight-year-old state program that places Georgia residents receiving unemployment checks into unpaid training positions in an effort to get them full-time jobs. The program is popular on both sides of the aisle, including with congressional Republicans, but it comes with its own set of challenges.

Indiana Shows Perils of Insolvent Jobless Funds

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: Indiana, like 27 other states, has an unemployment insurance fund that is essentially broke. Legislators recently moved to address the problem, but their changes are costing businesses 44 percent more in premiums and fees in a still-struggling economy.

Drug Tests Ordered for Florida Welfare Applicants

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Florida became the first state this year to require that all welfare applicants be tested for illegal drugs at their own expense. Alabama already is eyeing similar legislation for next year.

Workers' Comp Systems Getting Stricter

States are changing the rules for employees claiming benefits as a result of injuries suffered on the job.

As States Cut Unemployment Benefits, Higher Business Taxes Loom

Millions of unemployed workers and businesses are feeling the pain as states try to pay down on the billions they borrowed from the federal government to keep aid going to the jobless.

Budget Cuts to Programs for Elderly May Cost Money Later

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Programs for the elderly are cut back in California and Illinois ... legislators quarrel with the governor over reductions to senior citizen care in New Jersey ... state monitoring of some elder facilities is eliminated in New Hampshire, and other social policy news.

In Michigan, State Lawmakers Approve Four-Year Cap on Welfare Benefits

TODAY'S TAKE: Nearly 13,000 Michigan families will lose monthly benefit checks averaging $515 starting in October after state lawmakers approved a four-year cap on welfare.

Massachusetts Explores 'Social Impact Bonds'

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Should investors be allowed to fund and make money off social programs? Massachusetts is considering the idea, known as "social impact bonds."

What Welfare Cutbacks Say About the Wisdom of Block Grants

Welfare isn't a big item in state budgets, but it's an easy one to go after because the states are in charge. Trimming Medicaid is much more complicated: The federal government has a veto.

Christie Proposes to Slash Medicaid in New Jersey

HEALTH BEAT: Governor's plan would drop 23,000 adults who are currently receiving coverage. The federal government would have to approve the change in eligibility rules.

Minimum Wage Issue Heats Up

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: The New Hampshire Legislature wants to make sure its state minimum wage is never higher than the federal rate - something that some lawmakers in Missouri, Nevada and Wyoming had tried to do this year, but were unsuccessful.

Budget Cuts Hitting Poor in Unusual Ways

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: As more legislatures finish their budgets, programs that help the poor in Kansas and Florida are among those getting scaled back or eliminated altogether.

Welfare Rolls Up, Benefits Down in Some States

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Some states are scaling back welfare benefits just as more of their residents are seeking them, a new report says.

California, New Jersey Offer Low-Fee Unemployment Cards

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: California and New Jersey offer the best prepaid cards with the fewest fees to access unemployment benefits … Florida uses Twitter to help find homes for foster children ... Nine states could face penalties for missing welfare's work participation thresholds, and other social policy news.

Michigan Debates Four-Year Lifetime Limit on Welfare

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Michigan's proposal would exempt the welfare limit in cases of incapacity or hardship … Louisiana casinos will begin withholding the winnings of parents who owe back child support … New York and West Virginia take home the most government aid per person, and other social policy news.

Unemployment Rate Dips in 34 States

TODAY'S TAKE: New figures from the U.S. Labor Department show joblessness dropping in two-thirds of the states. Nevada retains the highest rate at 13.4 percent. North Dakota has the lowest at 3.6 percent.

States Eye Linking Public Assistance, Drug Tests

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Recipients of certain benefits would have to pass drug tests under proposals pending in 27 states … Job training programs are slashed in the recent federal budget deal … Two more states ban late-term abortions because of "fetal pain," and other social policy news.

Foreclosure Aid Program Gets Underway in Florida

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Florida rolls out a program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure … A GOP plan to turn food stamps into a block grant gets mixed reviews … Texas experiences a child boom, and other social policy news.

Missouri Next to Cut Jobless Benefits

TODAY'S TAKE: Michigan this week became the first state to reduce state-level unemployment benefits. Now, Missouri is the first to opt out of a program that provides more federal money for the jobless. About 10,000 workers will be affected, starting next week.

Brewer Reconsiders Organ Transplants

TODAY'S TAKE: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is open to restoring funds for potentially life-saving organ transplants for about 100 low-income residents. The transplant money was cut from the state budget amid national criticism last year.

States Weigh Cuts to Earned Income Tax Credit for Working Poor

The state version of a federal tax credit that Ronald Reagan once endorsed is now under fire from conservatives.

Half the States Flunk on Child Care Protections

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Half of the states earn a failing grade when it comes to child care center protections and oversight, says a new report ... Food stamp usage is soaring in Western states ... Charities in Michigan worry about losing donations under a plan that would eliminate tax breaks, and other social policy news.

'Food Hardship' an Issue in 21 States, Report Says

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: At least one in five Americans in 21 states struggled to afford enough food for themselves and their families last year, a new report says ... Minnesota eyes a plan to get investors to fund social services ... California and Kentucky have cut more funds from mental health programs since 2009 than any other states, and more social policy news.

Social Programs Targeted in State Cutbacks

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Deep social service cuts are being proposed by most governors ... Indiana finds money for its strapped unemployment insurance fund ... Delaware invests in financial literacy, and other social policy news.

Community Groups Balk at Cuts in Obama's Budget

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: President Obama's budget puts the squeeze on social programs, drawing fire from community groups ... Maine investigates the distribution of weatherization funds ... Connecticut considers an earned income tax credit, and other social policy news.

As Unemployment Insurance Debts Mount, Interest Payments Loom

States have borrowed $42 billion from the federal government to continue paying unemployment benefits to people who can't find work. As it stands now, they'll have to begin paying interest on that tab this fall.

Education, Infrastructure Win in Obama Budget

TODAY'S TAKE: President Obama's budget for the next fiscal year seeks to curb domestic spending and address the skyrocketing federal deficit, but still includes major increases for some areas important to states.

Fight Begins Over Obama Aid Plan

TODAY'S TAKE: An Obama administration plan that would allow states to raise unemployment-insurance taxes is drawing criticism from Republicans. The proposal "isn't going anywhere," the chairman of a powerful House committee said.

Child Support Collections Dip, Except in Louisiana

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Most states are seeing declines in child support collections, but not Louisiana … The number of unauthorized immigrants goes down in Colorado, Florida and New York … Teen birth rates remain steady everywhere except in West Virginia, and other social policy news.

Food Stamp Rolls Reach Historic Levels

More Americans than ever before are getting federal help to buy groceries. Which state is seeing caseloads grow the fastest? You might be surprised to find out.

Setting Up Health Insurance Exchanges, States Face Big Decisions

One of the biggest tasks states face under the new federal health care law is upon them. In the coming months, states have a lot of choices to make about how they want the private health insurance market to operate.

States' Unemployment Debit Cards Often Carry Hidden Costs, Fees

If you receive jobless benefits, you can get a free debit card to carry your benefits in some 30 states. Free at first, that is. As time goes on, you could end up paying quite a bit of money for the bargain.

Social Programs Could Get Axed

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Deep cuts to programs that serve the poor or disabled are on the table in California, Iowa, Massachusetts and Washington … States will have to start paying interest on the billions they borrowed from the federal government to continue paying out unemployment benefits … The shooting in Tucson renews debate about state mental health services, and other social policy news.