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States Show No Improvement In Curbing Out-of-Wedlock Births
Four states and the District of Columbia have cut their rates of illegitimate births to such an extent they will receive bonuses of $20 million from the federal government. But the declines in those states and seven others were completely offset by increases in births to single mothers in 39 other states. For the nation […]
Legislative Scorecard: Three States Still Budget-Less
With all but the nation’s full-time legislatures adjourned for the year and most of the others on summer break, three states –New York, Massachusetts and Wisconsin — have yet to pass budgets for the new fiscal year. In Massachusetts and Wisconsin the fiscal year began July 1 and lawmakers in both states are nowhere near […]
States Defy Critics By Changing Welfare Culture Faster Than Expected
WASHINGTON — Three years after the states officially took the reins of the nation’s welfare system, their social service agencies have adopted policies that observers say have resulted in profound change, particularly in the message sent to welfare recipients. Previous attempts by Congress to mandate work for adults on welfare met with only limited success, […]
Lawmakers In New Mexico, Missouri And Vermont Call It Quits
In New Mexico, Missouri and Vermont, lawmakers scrambled last week to complete last-minute haggling over end-of-session tax and budget measures. Each of these legislatures has now adjourned, bringing to 24 the number of state lawmaking bodies which have completed work for 1999. New Mexico legislators meeting in special session sent Republican Gov. Gary Johnson a […]
A Portrait of America’s Mothers From Census, Financial Data
WASHINGTON – This Sunday, May 9, Americans will celebrate an 85-year-old tradition, Mother’s Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May a national holiday. Much has changed for American mothers since 1914, when most did not work outside the home and none could vote. Herewith, some facts about American mothers today: […]
New Study Paints Grim Picture Of Lifestyle For U.S. Underclass
A vast national survey of the financial, emotional and mental well-being of American families finds poor children and their parents are at least twice as likely to suffer a wide range of hardships than their wealthier counterparts. “Snapshots of America’s Families”, released this morning by the Urban Institute, also reveals significant disparities in family health […]