Route Fifty

For some people, a parking ticket is a minor hassle at most. For others, through no fault of their own, a ticket can unravel their lives and livelihoods as fees quickly multiply and the stakes rise by the day. Across the country, states impose fines and fees for everything from loitering and jaywalking to low-level traffic citations, such as speeding or parking violations. These frequently cost people far more than their face value, writes Brooke Tucker, J.D., a civil rights lawyer and program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Often, these fines are compounded with court fees, regardless of whether the person even goes to court. In other instances, the stakes are higher, and an inability to pay can quickly lead to fees multiplying, driver’s license suspensions, water shutoffs or even jail time. As families and neighbors help cover costs, a simple ticket can suddenly unravel the health and economic well-being of entire communities. States and localities must enact reforms to fix this system that has long been broken. Over the past decade, several states have begun to change their laws to remove unjust or inequitably implemented fines and fees, while finding new, more equitable ways to fund their budgets. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dbPA9xCi

The Federal Highway Administration announced $521 million in grants to 29 states to bring electric charging ports to largely underserved areas. The money comes from two programs in the 2021 infrastructure law that fund new charging stations to promote the switch from gas-powered cars to EVs. The efforts to build more publicly available chargers are aimed at alleviating one of customers’ biggest fears about transitioning to electric vehicles: not being able to find a place to recharge. “Most EV charging will happen at homes, workplaces or other destinations while vehicles are already parked, providing a safe, reliable and vastly more convenient way for anyone to fuel,” said Gabe Klein, the executive director of the federal government’s Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. “Today’s investments in public community charging fill crucial gaps and provide the foundation for a zero-emission future where everyone can choose to ride or drive electric for greater individual convenience and reduced fueling costs, as well as cleaner air and lower health care costs for all Americans.” https://lnkd.in/dMrb4vAj

California is one of 21 states that has adopted skills-first hiring practices for state government positions. But now, states must translate skills-first hiring from theory to practice in ways that help their agencies identify new sources of talent and create new paths to upward mobility. The Golden State is building an employment ecosystem that prioritizes pipeline building and recruiting that’s separate from one another and from the hiring process. The state is also creating new communications channels to reach out to fresh sources of talent via new partners. Learn more from James Regan, deputy secretary for workforce development with the California Government Operations Agency, here: https://lnkd.in/gi8D9Ru3 #workforce #publicsectorworkforce #california #skillsfirst #hiring #stategovernment

Five conservative justices agreed to let Arizona require proof of citizenship from people who registered to vote using a state-generated form. Meanwhile, the five-justice majority kept other parts of the law from taking effect. Specifically, they did not allow Arizona to require proof of citizenship from people who used a federal form to register instead of a state-generated form. Arizona officials say 42,301 people used the federal document. Under Arizona law, those people can vote in federal elections but not state or local contests. “My concern,” said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat who oversees elections, “is that changes to the process should not occur this close to an election. It creates confusion for voters.” Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eKBZPc8T #arizona #scotus #voting #votinglaws #noncitizens #voterregistration #republicans

LGBTQ+ children and teens are 2.5 times more likely to be placed in the foster care system than their peers. And a growing body of research has found that LGBTQ+ children in the child welfare system move foster homes more frequently than their peers and are more likely to feel unsupported by their guardians or experience emotional distress. But just five states require foster homes to respect children’s and teens’ gender identity and sexual orientation, according to a new report. In California, for instance, a law that went into effect this year requires approved foster families to be potential foster parents to “demonstrate an ability and willingness to meet the needs of a child, regardless of the child’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.” While some states lack formal anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ youth in foster care, they have moved to support them in other ways. In Massachusetts, for example, the state’s child welfare agency has identified 16 trans-affirming homes across the state. Public systems have a responsibility to young people and their families, said Alexandra Citrin, senior associate at the Center for the Study of Social Policy. If a child welfare worker doesn’t, for example, use an adolescent’s preferred pronoun or support their sexual orientation, it “shows me you don’t see me.” Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eps2dbN9 #lgbtq #lgbtqia #fostercare #childwelfare #genderidentity #sexualorientation #mentalhealth #youthmentalhealth

Home prices hit record highs this year and more Americans are dedicating large shares of their incomes to housing costs. The country is facing a shortage of between 4 million and 7 million units, causing rent and home prices to skyrocket. The Harris-Walz campaign recently outlined a slew of proposals it hopes will spur construction of 3 million new units in four years. As part of the campaign’s broader economic agenda, the housing plans include efforts to bolster the housing supply, such as strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and creating a new tax incentive for developers that build starter homes. A proposed $40 billion innovation fund — a sum that doubles a similar initiative under the Biden administration — would similarly “empower developers and homebuilders to design and build rental and housing solutions that are affordable,” according to a campaign press release. “For the first time in my career, housing and housing supply is front and center in a presidential campaign,” said James Tobin, CAE, president and CEO of the National Association of Home Builders. ”That's really important because housing has become so far out of reach for so many Americans [and] we've got to solve that problem.” Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ez5J5--X #housingcrisis #affordablehousing #harriswalz #kamalaharris #timwalz #taxes

This week Chris Teale looks at Democratic National Convention. Plus: Corporal punishment laws, a Wyoming mayoral candidate's bold proposal, open primary initiatives on the ballot and more news to use from around the country.

For adults 65 and older, health care spending has been increasing for decades, with per capita spending on aging people growing 4.5% between 2018 and 2020, compared with a 2.6% growth rate from 2016 to 2018. Now one state is making it easier for older adults and others to get care for serious conditions outside of a hospital. This spring, Hawaii became the first state to provide Medicaid coverage for palliative care in non-hospital settings under its state plan amendment. The change has the potential to reduce costs and improve health outcomes and quality of life for patients—and to serve as a model for other states. “In a lot of states, people can access services that fall under the umbrella of palliative care,” said Ella Taggart, a senior research analyst at the National Academy for State Health Policy, but now Hawaii “is able to comprehensively offer … the whole host of [palliative care] services.” Hawaii’s plan allows Medicaid benefits to cover the work of health and social services providers like community health workers, mental health professionals and others. It also defines palliative care as a preventative service, which means that Medicaid will cover comprehensive assessments, such as screening for diseases and psychological, neuropsychological and cognitive testing, to determine their care needs. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eW679suz

The extreme shortage of child care is an urgent nationwide problem, but a Vermont solution could serve as a national model for action, write Barrett and Greene Inc. in Route Fifty. In a February 2023 survey of child care providers in the state, nearly 1 out of 5 said they feared they’d go out of business within the year, which could have turned an already painful shortage into a debilitating crisis. But the power of that data helped foster an environment that led to comprehensive legislation the following May, which has already shown great promise in Vermont and could be emulated elsewhere. Among other things, the new law increases the number of families that can receive financial assistance for child care by increasing eligibility from 350% of the federal poverty level to 575%. The law also provides for higher reimbursement rates for child care businesses, with the hope that increased funding will improve pay for hard-to-find staff. "Most importantly," write authors Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene, "the law ensures that state funding continues in future years based on a dedicated new payroll tax that began July 1 and is projected to bring in $80 million in its first year, which is in addition to about $60 million being spent out of the general fund. To read more about what Vermont is doing -- and the results of the legislation itself -- click here: https://lnkd.in/eFw3ZW6F Jessica Brumsted Erin Roche STATE OF VERMONT - DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES Let's Grow Kids Janet McLaughlin, State of Vermont Building Bright Futures, National Women's Law Center Aly Richards Elizabeth Daigneau Child Care Aware of America Child Care Resource Center American Society for Public Administration Jill Krowinski Emily Long First Children's Finance The Hunt Institute

The U.S. is investing more than $42 billion to bring affordable high-speed internet to all Americans, but there aren't enough skilled workers to get the job done, writes David Stehlin, chief executive officer at Telecommunications Industry Association. While many industries face an aging workforce crisis, telecom has been particularly affected. Employment in this sector has plummeted 23% since 2013, from 854,200 to 656,700 workers in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rapid technological advancements that require new skill sets have contributed to the declining telecom workforce compared with other industries that have remained relatively consistent. With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the BEAD program placing greater emphasis on the workforce gap, several states are responding. Learn how California, Ohio and Vermont are tackling workforce shortages at the link below: https://lnkd.in/eZd_YUZa