Legislature fails to spare children facing hardship
The recently-concluded special session of the Oregon legislature was not so special for families suffering extreme hardship.
August 26, 2020
Janet Bauer
Janet Bauer is the Director of Policy Research at the Oregon Center for Public Policy
Oregon Should Assist Laid-off Immigrant Workers Excluded from Federal Aid
Federal help for workers enacted in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis leaves out a key portion of Oregon’s workforce. Already excluded from most safety net supports, undocumented workers laid off from their jobs find themselves in an especially vulnerable situation.
April 6, 2020
Oregon TANF Should Respond to the Needs of Oregon Families Affected by the COVID-19 Crisis
For some families economically hit by the coronavirus pandemic, Oregon’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is the last line of defense.
March 18, 2020
Changes to Unemployment Insurance Would Help Oregon Cope with COVID-19
With some changes, Oregon’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) program can help Oregonians better cope with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The virus and efforts to contain it threaten to disrupt the workplace. Quarantines, layoffs, and other upheavals put at risk the economic well-being of working families, especially those living paycheck-to-paycheck. By making appropriate changes to its UI program, Oregon can help workers and businesses weather this health emergency.
March 16, 2020
Low EITC Participation Costs Oregon Dearly
Oregon families are among the least likely to benefit from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) — a tax credit designed for families surviving on low wages.
January 29, 2020
Oregon stalls, the nation falls. The latest on health insurance coverage.
Progress has stalled. That’s the main takeaway from the latest data on health insurance coverage in Oregon, released yesterday by the U.S. Census.
September 11, 2019
Administration’s proposal would increase hunger across the land
In the richest country in the world, the fact that many families don’t have enough to eat ought to be treated as a national emergency. It ought to be a priority of the highest order to make sure that no one is food insecure.
August 27, 2019
An effective plan to lift up struggling working families
Without a doubt, our country can vastly improve the economic prospects of families scraping by on low wages.
August 14, 2019
The Trump administration opens a new front in its war on the poor
While it’s unclear whether the Trump administration will involve the nation in a new armed conflict in the Middle East, this much is certain: it has no qualms about waging war against this country’s poor families.
July 11, 2019
Tax day is a day to fight poverty
Tax Day is one of the most important days on the calendar when it comes to the fight against poverty. Today, many working families in Oregon struggling to pay the bills will claim on their tax returns the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), one of the most effective anti-poverty tools available.
April 15, 2019