The Problem of Low Wages in Kentucky
The economy is growing, but job growth is happening way too slowly. To make matters worse, low wages keep many...
Economic Security
Decline of TANF Caseloads Not the Result of Decreasing Poverty
Caseloads for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a safety net program designed to help families facing economic hardship meet basic needs, have declined sharply since 1995. Some policymakers have...
Legislation Requiring Government-Issued ID Could Deny Public Benefits to Eligible Recipients
Senate Bill 118, which passed the Senate yesterday, would require applicants for all public benefits to provide proof of lawful presence in the United States. While the bill’s proponents say...
Threatening Benefits for Low-Income Families Wrong Way to Address Drug Problem
Legislation in the Kentucky General Assembly proposes to eliminate public assistance for low-income individuals suspected of drug use unless they can pass drug tests or enroll in treatment programs. House...
A Decade of Erosion in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in Kentucky
According to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), 200,000 fewer non-elderly Kentuckians had health insurance through an employer in 2010 than in 2000. The report finds that...
Unemployment Insurance Important to Economy but Limited for Workers
The loss of over 100,000 Kentucky jobs during the severe economic downturn of the last few years would have been even worse for the economy—and Kentucky families—if it wasn’t for...
Kentucky Should Re-Enact Surcharge to Pay Unemployment Interest
Kentucky owes interest payments on the nearly one billion dollars borrowed from the federal government to pay unemployment insurance benefits during the economic downturn. The next interest payment, due September...
Testimony on HB 182: Payday Lending
Testimony on House Bill 182--Limiting the Interest Rate on Payday Lending to 36 Percent House Banking and Insurance Committee, Kentucky General Assembly February 16, 2011 Melissa Fry Konty, Ph.D. Research...
Kentucky Will Forego $90 Million for Jobless Workers Unless Unemployment Insurance Updates Made by August
Kentucky stands to miss out on $90 million in federal incentive monies unless it enacts measures by August 2011 to modernize its unemployment insurance system. Those changes would increase access...