Congress has until midnight Friday to pass an appropriations bill, or another continuing resolution will be needed to prevent a government shutdown. Missouri groups have joined the call for more funding for a variety of federal supports for low-income families, including diaper banks.
Groups in Missouri are urging Congress to pass a full-year, fully funded appropriations bill, instead of a parade of stopgap continuing resolutions to fund support programs for low-income and working people across the state. Between 2010 and 2021, many programs serving low-income people nationwide lost ground taking inflation into account, according to the Coalition on Human Needs. Jill Gaikowski, executive director of the Happy Bottoms diaper bank in Kansas City, said many low-income families struggle to pay for diapers. .
Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering Gov. Tom Wolf s final budget proposal, which includes raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour by July. Child behavioral health agencies warn that increasing wages without more funding could affect the quality of care. .
A bill moving through the West Virginia Legislature would cut unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 12. Lawmakers cite cost and the need to push people back into the workforce. Critics say Senate Bill 2 does not tackle obstacles preventing people from finding employment or staying employed. .
Short-term budget extensions are often used by Congress to keep the federal government funded, and with another budget deadline looming, community action agencies in North Dakota say it s time to adopt a different approach, so people who are struggling are not left behind. The latest continuing resolution to keep federal money flowing expires March 11, and social-service groups argued the temporary approach often results in flat aid levels. Andrea Olson, executive director of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota (CAP-ND), added they are dealing with staffing shortages for Head Start and home-weatherization programs. .