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As Elon Musk looks on, Trump says he's giving DOGE even more power; Officials monitor latest AR bird flu outbreak; NV lawmaker proposes new date for Indigenous Peoples Day; NM lawmaker says journalists of all stripes need protection; Closure of EPA branch would harm VA environment.

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A court weighs the right of New York City noncitizens to vote in local elections, Vice President Vance suggests courts can't overrule a president, and states increasingly challenge the validity of student IDs at the ballot box.

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Medical debt, which tops $90 billion has an outsized impact on rural communities, a new photography book shares the story of 5,000 schools built for Black students between 1912 and 1937, and anti-hunger advocates champion SNAP.

Census data: More Mainers struggle to meet basic needs

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Friday, September 13, 2024   

More Maine households struggled to meet their basic needs last year, according to new census data.

More than 80,000 Mainers, or roughly 6% of the population, lived below the federal poverty threshold, compared to more than 60,000 in 2022.

Rebecca Riddell, economic and racial justice senior policy lead for the nonprofit Oxfam America, said while poverty rates have increased, they remain below pre-pandemic levels, revealing the effectiveness of programs like the expanded Child Tax Credit.

"These kinds of supports, which are really part of a well-functioning social safety net, really make a difference for families," Riddell asserted. "Especially low-income families."

Riddell pointed out the tax credit helped cut child poverty in half during the pandemic but when Congress allowed it to expire in 2022, child poverty doubled to more than 12%. It is estimated a return of the Child Tax Credit would benefit nearly 40,000 low-income Maine children.

The loss of stimulus payments and anti-poverty programs outweighed a rise in incomes statewide as inflation continued to affect families' ability to buy groceries or pay their rent. Household income was up 4% last year compared to 2022 but for Black, Asian and Hispanic households, incomes held steady.

Riddell argued it should be a goal of policymakers to reverse any trends in income inequality.

"It's alarming that instead of these inequalities improving, we actually see that there could be more divergences with incomes of groups that have been historically marginalized and discriminated against falling behind the incomes of white families," Riddell observed.

Riddell emphasized raising taxes on America's wealthiest households, reinvesting in anti-poverty tax credits and raising the minimum wage would provide critical support for families in need.

A recent report found the number of Maine children living in poverty has declined but pandemic-related trauma and learning loss continue to impact their overall well-being.


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