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Day two of David Pecker testimony wraps in NY Trump trial; Supreme Court hears arguments on Idaho's near-total abortion ban; ND sees a flurry of campaigning among Native candidates; and NH lags behind other states in restricting firearms at polling sites.

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The Senate moves forward with a foreign aid package. A North Carolina judge overturns an aged law penalizing released felons. And child protection groups call a Texas immigration policy traumatic for kids.

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Wyoming needs more educators who can teach kids trade skills, a proposal to open 40-thousand acres of an Ohio forest to fracking has environmental advocates alarmed and rural communities lure bicyclists with state-of-the-art bike trail systems.

What to do About Missouri's Shrinking Middle Class

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Monday, November 19, 2012   

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) finds the poor getting poorer in Missouri and around the nation. Amy Blouin, with the Missouri Budget Project says during the last 10 to 15 years, the economy improved for only the richest in Missouri.

"The wealthiest households saw their income rise by almost 7 percent while those with the lowest incomes actually fell by 8.8 percent."

The report says the biggest problem is stagnating wages. Low-paying jobs in the service sector have replaced high-paying manufacturing jobs. Blouin sees underfunded schools as also contributing to the problem in Missouri.

"Schools are laying off teachers. That's one example of how we are harming our ability to succeed."

The report found many Missourians slipping out of the middle class, with average middle-class incomes dropping by about 5 percent in the last decade. Blouin says Missouri can do better.

"While very wealthy folks were getting ahead, the lowest-income folks were not. That middle-income families lost ground significantly is very disturbing, as well."

The richest families in Missouri make nearly 12 times what the poorest families bring home, and their income quadruples that of the middle class.

Blouin says Missouri policymakers should invest in education, so Missouri can attract high tech industry, and she urges the state to avoid tax policies that benefit only the wealthy.

The full report is available from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.




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