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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

ID Legislature Checks on Health of Families

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Monday, October 1, 2007   

Boise, ID – Idaho families are getting a checkup. As the Legislative Family Task Force takes a closer look at the overall health of families, it is considering things like divorce rates, household income and childcare needs. The goal is to decide what the state can do to help ensure Idaho children get a strong start early in life and transition into adulthood successfully. Economist Judy Brown with the Idaho Center on Budget and Tax Policy, who testified at a recent Task Force meeting, says the state could help families overcome some of their most common financial stresses.

"We could make sure that parents have safe, affordable, quality childcare available, and offer things like an Earned Income Credit that would really help families make ends meet."

Brown says although Idaho can help families with policy changes, the issues reach into the business community, too. Idaho may have made recent headlines for its booming economic climate, but wages here are still low compared to other states.

"In the longer run, we just need economic development policies that are going to attract better-paying jobs to the state."

Brown adds the cost of raising a child in Idaho is up considerably over the past few decades because of child care, which means more families need both parents in the workforce to cover basic expenses. The Task Force meets again October 26th in Coeur d'Alene. For more information about the meetings, look online at
www.legislature.idaho.gov





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