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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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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.

ND: Livable Wages/Working Families

U.S. researchers said there is a belief that boosting lawmaker pay might lead to more working-class legislators, but their information gathering does not back that up. North Dakota lawmakers are part-time, only meeting in Bismarck every other year. (Adobe Stock)
Study: Working class woefully underrepresented in state legislatures

In North Dakota and all other states, the backgrounds of people serving in state legislatures largely leave out a key demographic, the working class…

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When North Dakota lawmakers reconvene in 2025, they're expected to consider ideas from a task force about getting more teachers into classrooms. The panel is just beginning to hold discussions. (Adobe Stock)
ND task force zeroes in on teacher recruitment

This coming Thursday, a new task force will meet to advance discussions about boosting teacher recruitment and retention in North Dakota. The panel …

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Leading up to a 2023 vote to overhaul its pension system, North Dakota had an underfunded liability approaching $2 billion. (Adobe Stock)
National report issues cautionary tale after ND pension overhaul

CLARIFICATION: North Dakota will be closing its main public pension plan next year. An earlier version of this story did not indicate that several …

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Policy experts say as it now stands, roughly 19 million children in the U.S. don't benefit from the federal Child Tax Credit because their families' incomes are too low. (Adobe Stock)
Federal Child Tax Credit could see another expansion with new deal in play

Congress is poised to consider renewing the expanded Child Tax Credit and policy analysts said the latest effort could help tens of thousands of North…

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North Dakota is one of 20 states still at the federal minimum wage level of $7.25 an hour. The other 30 have base levels ranging from $8.75 to $16. (Adobe Stock)
Minimum wage policy still varies across U.S.

Bills are pending in Congress to boost the federal minimum wage, which remains at $7.25 an hour. Separately, many states increased their wage …

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North Dakota's Government Services legislative committee said lower-income households are<br />expected to increase by 2025 across the state, putting more pressure on stakeholders to remove affordable housing barriers. (Adobe Stock)
ND panel gets detailed view of homelessness around the state

North Dakota's affordable housing gaps came into focus at a public hearing yesterday. A legislative committee, tasked with studying the issue…

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Cognia, a nongovernmental organization that accredits primary and secondary schools, says declining birth rates might make it harder for colleges and universities to maintain solid enrollment in the coming years. (Adobe Stock)
To boost enrollment, public university systems go big on tuition discounts

States like North and South Dakota are in a fierce battle to keep college affordable as public schools navigate the ebbs and flows of enrollment trend…

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In a new educator union poll, North Dakota teachers say they don't feel district administrators, school boards and elected officials respect their opinions and experience. (Adobe Stock)
Poll: Teacher retention issue in ND not improving

Eighty-eight percent of North Dakota teachers feel that school districts will have a harder time keeping enough staff next school year, according to …

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The North Dakota Child Care Action Alliance said the state needs about 10,000 more childcare slots to meet the demand for young children with working parents. (Adobe Stock)
ND childcare crisis: What's the next step during session gap?

North Dakota's special legislative session on budget technicalities did not bring many surprises. Groups wanting to see more action on child care …

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In a new survey, respondents from all eight regions served by Community Action Agencies in North Dakota cited housing as the most pressing community need. (Adobe Stock)
With emerging data, ND housing needs come into focus

More than 65% of North Dakotans say housing is the state's biggest overall need. That's according to new community-level survey data. The findings …

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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says last year's spike in the nation's child poverty rate is the largest increase for children dating back to 1967. (Adobe Stock)
New Poverty Data Spurs Urgent Calls to Reverse Trends

The U.S. Census Bureau is out with new findings showing that the nation's child poverty rate has more than doubled, to 12%. Policy experts say a key …

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Organizers with the Backpacks for Kids Program in the Bismarck area help ensure kids have access to food when they're away from school during the academic year, so they do not return to class distracted by hunger. (Photo courtesy of Community Action Program)
Starting the School Year Right: Relief Options for Kids in Low Income Settings

The start of a new school year can bring added stress to families, especially those experiencing poverty. In North Dakota, community-level …

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