Congress has one week to approve a new federal spending plan or risk a government shutdown, and some Wisconsinites are calling on lawmakers to keep working families and others in mind when weighing certain programs. Congress recently approved a continuing resolution to keep the government running until mid-November. But with a new House Speaker in place come renewed concerns Republicans in the lower chamber will press for steep cuts before the latest deadline. .
North Dakota s special legislative session on budget technicalities did not bring many surprises. Groups wanting to see more action on child care funding said solutions were left on the table, and they plan to keep the conversation going. Prior to last week s session, the state adopted a child care plan in the spring, which included $66 million to address access and affordability issues. .
Pennsylvania advocacy groups will gather at the Capitol rotunda for a "Fix Harrisburg" press conference today to deliver a new performance report to state lawmakers, calling for changes to legislative rules and more progress. A recent report by the group Fair Districts PA compared the Pennsylvania General Assembly s first six months of 2023 to three neighboring states: New York, Maryland and Virginia, and found the new session is off to a very slow start. Carol Kuniholm, chair of Fair Districts PA, said the report found Virginia passed more than 800 bills in less than two months. .
As the federal government nears a shutdown over a budget impasse in Congress, Wisconsin offices that help low-income individuals worry they ll have to stretch their programs. They hope the public sees the importance of their assistance. Public policy analysts say safety-net aid, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) would feel the budget squeeze sooner rather than later. .