LANSING, Mich. – Tax season is here and so is free help from the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program.

Last year, the program helped more than 66,000 people in Michigan file their federal and state income tax returns, and receive more than $26 million in refunds, including nearly $3 million in Earned Income Tax Credits.

Karen Kafantaris, associate state director at AARP Michigan, says the entirely volunteer-run program keeps growing.

"This year we have about 162 sites across the state,” she points out. “These are sites in senior centers, in libraries, in various places. We cover pretty much every county."

The service is open to everyone, not just seniors or AARP members, and aims especially to help low and middle-income Michiganders.

Appointments are necessary and Kafantaris recommends booking one as soon as possible, because the times do fill up. More information is online at AARP.org/taxaide, or by calling 1-888-AARP-NOW.

Kafantaris says many people who have used the Tax-Aide program end up returning as volunteers. She says all volunteers undergo rigorous training.

"We spend a lot of time training our volunteers,” she stresses. “It's IRS training. You get the best training possible for the volunteers, who then can do the best job possible."

And while this year's volunteers are already trained and sites staffed, she adds it's never too soon to start thinking about next year.

Nationwide, the Tax-Aide program has served more than 50 million people since it first began in 1968.





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A Utah lawmaker has proposed a bill which could impose stricter restrictions and regulations for public employees.

Passage of House Bill 241, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, would mean union stewards and leaders would not be allowed paid time to engage in union work. It would also prohibit a public employer from deducting union dues from a public employee's wages and prohibit public money or public property to be used for union organizing or administration.

Shelley Bilbrey, court clerk for Salt Lake City for almost two decades, has been a member of her union for the last 16 years and has been a union steward the last eight. She said in her opinion, the provisions mean Utah labor unions are in for the fight of their lives.

"A union member cannot do any union business whatsoever in a public building," Bilbrey explained. "That, right there, pretty much puts a kibosh on the union."

Teuscher has said it is an issue of using taxpayer money to process payroll deduction for union dues. Bilbrey countered she is shocked and confused because public employees have other deductions being taken out of their paycheck, and she does not see how union deduction fees are different.

Bilbrey added the measures proposed in the bill would heavily complicate helping union members. Bilbrey explained she joined her union to have a voice. As a union steward, Bilbrey emphasized she has a specific number of hours covered to handle union issues. If the bill were passed, Bilbrey stressed union issues would have to be resolved on one's own time.

"I don't know how to figure out how we would go around that," Bilbrey admitted. "What am I supposed to say to someone? 'Oh yeah, hey, meet me at Denny's.' "

Bilbrey added being part of a union is all about leveling the playing field and about giving individuals a voice at the workplace. She sees the bill not only as perplexing, but as an attack on public employees and Utah unions.

Researchers have said rural communities face a host of unique challenges, and access to paid leave is one of them. Advocates hope the needs of rural families are part of the debate, as discussion ramps up for a statewide program in Minnesota.

Gov. Tim Walz has included a paid family- and medical-leave program in his proposed budget.

Leota Goodney, activist and retired accounting firm operator from Northfield, said creating pathways for such a benefit could be helpful to small businesses in rural areas. She said it is a struggle everywhere, but is more profound in Greater Minnesota, where smaller firms and the self-employed are considered key drivers of local economies.

"There are not large employers like there are in the urban areas, and many of the large employers in the urban areas already offer some kind of paid family leave," Goodney pointed out.

A report by the think tank New America said only 61 % of women in rural communities have paid time off of any kind to care for a new child or an ill loved one.

The Walz plan calls for nearly $670 million to get the program started, with a less than 1% payroll tax to maintain funding. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce argued it would place too much financial stress on small businesses.

The organization estimates the plan would cost Minnesota businesses $1 billion, but Goodney countered having employers and their staff pitch in is a small sacrifice in establishing a benefit which can help recruit workers for rural areas.

"I definitely think that it makes living more attractive in rural areas," Goodney asserted. "This is a way to keep people from leaving rural areas to go somewhere else where they can actually make a living."

Nearly a dozen states have adopted paid-leave laws. Minnesota's plan would cover up to 12 weeks of medical leave and up to 12 weeks of family leave.

The state has a $17 billion surplus and Democrats feel optimistic about pushing proposals such as paid leave through because of their majorities. It remains unclear what will be in the final spending plans with several priorities announced in recent weeks.

The state's unemployment rate for women with children younger than age 6 has reached nearly 4%, and according to a new report, around 400,000 parents across North Carolina say they've had to miss work because of a lack of child-care options.

Founder and CEO of Creative Economic Development Consulting Crystal Morphis said nationwide, 16,000 child-care centers shut their doors during the pandemic - and persistent low wages make it difficult to attract workers as those centers reopen.

She said moms of young children especially are feeling the effects.

"In North Carolina, women have about a 10% lower labor-force participation rate than men anyway," said Morphis. "Since the pandemic, there's probably still about a million women sitting on the sidelines throughout the country."

According to federal data, more than 50,000 parents nationwide missed work in December 2022 because of child-care issues.

Data show more than 26,000 North Carolina kids dropped out of preschool and child-care programs during the pandemic.

Cassandra Brooks is the director of Little Believers Academy, a preschool in Clayton. She explained that society's most essential jobs depend on parents having affordable and reliable child care.

"Then those people can't go on to work in their industries," said Brooks. "They can't go on to work at the gas stations, the grocery stores, all of these things that we utilize daily. They can't because they don't have child-care assistance."

Alexandra Porter said she's one of the lucky ones. The single mother of two from Clayton has affordable child care.

Porter said knowing her preschooler is safe and learning during the day has made it easier to continue working at her state government job.

"Being able to come to work is a blessing," said Porter, "and it feels good knowing that I have somewhere to take my child every day so that I can come into work to make my money to take care of my children. "

According to the report, more than half of North Carolina families with young children live in areas designated as "child-care deserts."