Public News Service

#Indiana's third grade reading scores show progress, but gaps remain. The latest IREAD3 results show about?82% of students?passed in 2024, up slightly from the year before. But scores are still below pre-pandemic levels. Special education students, English learners, and low-income children struggle the most. Tami Shields Silverman, DPA, president and CEO of the?Indiana Youth Institute, said early childhood shapes literacy skills and many Indiana children lack access to quality early learning. "We know that 27 of Indiana's 92 counties had proficiency levels below the state average," Silverman observed. "That's actually up from prior years, so that's five more than what it was." Several programs help close gaps, including?On My Way Pre-K, which gives low-income children access to preschool,?Reach Out and Read Indiana?promotes early reading and?Dolly Parton's Imagination Library?sends free books to kids. A $9.5 million?Lilly Endowment grant?will expand after-school and summer reading programs. Indiana is aiming for 95% reading proficiency by 2027 but Silverman pointed out financial struggles create more barriers. "Some of those financial hardships bring on stressors like food insecurity, housing instability," Silverman outlined. "All of those things inhibit early learning, including but not limited to literacy."

A #Florida?bill?that would roll back child labor restrictions cleared a Senate panel this week, sparking debate over whether it empowers families or risks pushing vulnerable teens out of school. The proposal, which would allow 16 and 17 year-olds to work longer hours on school nights and in some hazardous jobs, drew sharp criticism from advocates who warn it could worsen chronic absenteeism and dropout rates. Tsi Smyth, vice president for public relations with the nonprofit advocacy group Voices of Florida, says the changes will affect some students more than others. "This is going to disproportionately affect students that are growing up in poverty, and you are going to relegate them to a lifetime of poverty," he explained. Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, sponsored Bill 918 and says it would match state rules with federal standards. It would allow 16 and 17-year-olds work 40 hours a week during school, up from the current 30-hour limit, and allow some currently banned jobs such as roofing. The measure passed along party lines, with Republicans in support. It now moves to the full Senate. Collins said that most teen jobs are in safe places such as grocery stores, and his measure provides valuable work experience. "Ultimately, we're not talking about 'The Jungle' by Upton Sinclair. We're talking about them working at Publix, at Piggly Wiggly, or jobs within the industry," he continued. "This is a far cry, I think often we demonize the employer cause it's going to take advantage of the children. This is a parental rights thing. Parents know their kids best." Opponents including Sen. Carlos Guillermo, D-Orlando, warned it could lead to abuse. "This bill is going to lead to exploitation of minors, exploitation of children, and I get the parental-rights conversation but there's no reference to parental rights in the bill," he explained. The House bill faces one final committee vote. With Republican supermajorities controlling both chambers, passage appears likely, making Florida the latest GOP-led state to relax child labor laws. Business groups back the measure, but opponents warn it risks teen safety.

The U.S. House of Representatives last month passed a?budget resolution?that would reduce the federal deficit by $880 billion over the next decade. That's at the cost of #Medicaid programs, and #Montana K-12 students could feel the impacts. Roughly?two in every five?Montana kids have health insurance through Medicaid, according to a Montana Healthcare Foundation report. Others may be under the care of family members who use Medicaid benefits, such as grandparents or veterans. Amanda Curtis, president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, says kids "hurt" when their needs aren't met. "Teachers, counselors, nurses in Montana are incredibly concerned for our students who rely on Medicaid services to be able to show up to school and learn every day," Curtis explained. She added that school staff are vital to student health as they often recognize when a kid needs extra help, like through speech and language pathologists, nurses or psychologists. The federal move clashes with a?Montana bill?to drop the sunset date for Medicaid expansion, which went to the governor's desk earlier this month. Curtis noted that bill received bipartisan support. "Montanans from the entire political spectrum agree that this is a program that is important to Montanans, that is good for Montanans, not just on an individual level but also for our economy," she continued." Medicaid is partially funded by federal dollars but administered by states, which would be left with tough decisions on who to cut from the program or how to make up the difference - by raising taxes, cutting other programs. Based on Montana's Medicaid spending, the proposed federal cuts are equivalent to coverage for?57,000 kids?in the state, or nearly 70% of child enrollees, according to KFF.

Amid a severe teacher and staff shortage, school support workers and their union allies rallied Tuesday in Harrisburg, #Pennsylvania for a better living wage. The group said?House Bill 777?would raise wages for more than 41,000 school staff members. More than 100 people gathered on the Capitol steps and met with lawmakers to gauge their support for the bill. aaron chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said it would raise the pay for support staff in public schools to a living wage of at least $20 per hour. "About 45% of our colleagues that are support professionals would benefit from raising the wage to $20 an hour," Chapin reported. "And unfortunately, so many of our educational support professionals, they're not able to make ends meet with the current salaries that they have. Many of them have a second job." The House bill has 22 cosponsors, all Democrats. Chapin pointed out it would raise support staff wages by about $3 an hour. A survey by the association last fall found four of five Pennsylvania voters would support a $20 minimum wage for school support staff. Disclosure: The Pennsylvania State Education Association contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Early Childhood Education, Education, and Livable Wages/Working Families.

#Minnesota's up-and-coming doctors say in order to better care for patients down the road, they need collective bargaining power. A large group of them has?filed to form a union, reflecting an industry shift. This week, a supermajority of nearly 1,000 University of Minnesota resident physicians and fellows submitted their union-creation plans. It follows a similar move by peers at Hennepin Health earlier this month. Dr. Thomas Schmidt, infectious diseases fellow at the University of Minnesota, said the current work environment for providers advancing through their training in hospitals and other settings is pretty grueling, with up to 80-hour workweeks in some cases. "It's us making sure that we're having some breaks and making sure that we're able to have some life outside of training," Schmidt explained. "To ensure that we can be good doctors when we're there with our patients." Schmidt cited burnout, still lingering from the COVID-19 pandemic, as one factor behind doctors embracing unionization. Researchers say the number of newly union-represented doctors?could soon double, compared with the past two decades. Because of consolidation in health care, more physicians are now employees of larger systems, as opposed to independent practitioners. The university said it will be responsive to all necessary parties as the process takes shape.

A report indicated layoffs in federal agencies by the ad hoc Department of Government Efficiency could affect a significant number of Ohioans and substantially undercut the state's budget. There are approximately 114,000 federal employees in the state. A Center for Community Solutions study found that if all federal employees in Ohio were to lose their jobs, the unemployment rate would?increase by almost 40%. Dylan Armstrong for people , public policy fellow at the Center for People Solutions, said it would have a profound effect on many state agencies and potentially cause service interruptions. "For federal fiscal year 2021, almost $58 billion of investments through all the different federal agencies," Armstrong pointed out. "The state doesn't have the capacity to replace those dollars. No one has the capacity to replace the dollars." The report examined federal employment and funding by #Ohio congressional districts. Alexander noted Congressional District 6 in Appalachian East Ohio receives the most federal funding, at $6.4 billion, while District 10, with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, has 20,000 federal employees.

#Tennessee advocates are gathering at the state Capitol Wednesday to urge lawmakers to?prioritize mental health funding?and policies to strengthen families, communities and youth. According to state records,?937,000 adults?in the state have a mental health condition. Katrina Gay, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Tennessee, said her grassroots group is backing Gov. Bill Lee's budget with more investments in mental health and advocating for PTSD treatment for first responders. She explained the legislation they are opposing. "We're also going to advocate to make sure that only qualified medical professionals have prescribing privileges for people with mental health conditions," Gay explained. "There's a bill in the House and Senate that would grant medication prescriptive authority to psychologists, and we are strongly opposed to that." Gay added over the years, they have pushed for key legislation, starting with Tennessee's first mental health parity bill in the late '90s, and continue advocating for funding for services and support of the?988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline?and more. One in six Tennesseans?aged 6 through 17 experiences a mental health disorder each year. Gay noted they advocate year-round with community engagement, which includes the Young Adult Advisory Group and NAMI on Campus clubs, webinars for college students who are emerging advocates. She added an in-person training session for advocates is Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Cordell Hull Building. "We have more than 50 leaders coming from across the state in person to meet with members of the General Assembly that are in the districts in which they live," Gay pointed out. "They can educate lawmakers, reinforce their experiences and forge stronger relationships." Gay stressed there is plenty of legislation on mass violence, and while her group is not addressing specific bills, they urged lawmakers to consider the effect on youth, especially those with disabilities. This summer, they will promote approaches supporting positive youth-adult relationships, better educator training and student empowerment to create safer schools without fear or trauma.

Nearly 100 probationary workers for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Chicago have had their jobs cut and then reinstated in the last month. They have also been ordered to close all environmental justice offices in the agency, affecting another 30 employees in the region. The latest threat is the possible closure of the EPA's?Office of Research and Development, which could mean firing more than 1,000 scientists and support staff. Nicole Cantello, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, which represents workers in the six Great Lakes area states, said the changes have put public safety and the environment at risk. "There really is a connection between EPA and saving lives," Cantello pointed out. "No one knows what we do until we stop doing it, and then they feel the effects. But there are EPA employees here in Chicago that are protecting you every single day." Issues they cover include dangerous pollution in air and drinking water, and the environmental aftermath of disasters like train derailments or oil spills. The EPA is calling Tuesday a National Day of Action, with demonstrations planned in at least eight cities across the country. Cantello noted the agency uses the rules set by its scientific research teams to monitor for air quality and water quality problems and alert the public. "When the Trump administration takes away the scientists, they take away EPA's ability to address emerging environmental problems that haven't yet been studied but we use our scientists to tell us how to address," Cantello explained. Cantello added proposed cuts could also affect the?BEACH Act, which for more than two decades has covered EPA monitoring of coastal recreation waters. She stressed it would put the Great Lakes at risk. "If we don't implement the BEACH Act anymore, then we won't be able to tell whether or not our beaches are safe," Cantello emphasized. "Especially from things like E. coli, which, lots of times, there's beaches shut down because of that." The #Trump administration called the cuts necessary to curb government waste and spending.

Tuesday is?#NationalMedalofHonorDay, celebrating the thousands of service members since 1861 who have been awarded the country's highest military honor. Of more than 40 million Americans who have served in the armed forces, fewer than 4,000 have received the Medal of Honor. Maryland is credited with more than 60 recipients. Alumni of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis account for more than 70 medal holders. Chris Cassidy, CEO of the?National Medal of Honor Museum, said it is common for a recipient to receive the honor decades after their service. "Over time, they get relooked and it's called a medal upgrade from, say, a Navy Cross to a Medal of Honor," Cassidy explained. "That happens frequently. It's not rare that you might see they're reviewing a Vietnam award and the person's still living and they get an award decades after their action happened." In January, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the?National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act. The bill would put a national monument for Medal of Honor recipients near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Today also is set for the grand opening of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Texas. Cassidy pointed out given limited real estate on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., it made sense for the museum to be built outside the nation's capital. He added the museum will be a place where people can hear stories of ordinary people going above and beyond. "Our museum is going to be a repository of amazing stories," Cassidy emphasized. "Stories of courage and sacrifice of normal people, just like you and I, who did something extraordinary when the nation needed them to do it." Among the recipients of the honor, 19 service members have received it twice and 14 of those were awarded for two separate actions. In 1917, laws were changed, ending the award of multiple Medals of Honor.

#Texas would be one of five states to suffer the most if the Trump administration repeals the Inflation Reduction Act,?according to a report?from the think tank Energy Innovation. Since the legislation was enacted in 2022,?more than $17 billion?in clean energy and transportation projects have been announced statewide. Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis at Energy Innovation, said ending the tax credits and reducing clean energy projects would negatively affect the Texas economy and environment. "What the IRA does is, it creates an incentive for developers to build even more clean electricity," Orvis explained. "When those clean electricity plants come online, they help to lower the cost of electricity and bring down rates. That means that Americans pay less for their electricity every year." The report showed ending the programs would increase the average annual household energy costs in Texas by more than $90 a year in 2030, and more than $370 a year by 2035. Some Republican lawmakers support keeping the IRA tax credits in place but the Trump administration said renewables make energy more expensive. Orvis noted the nationwide study showed what would happen to energy projects and jobs between 2025 and 2035 if cuts are made. "When we compared the top 10 states for each of those, there were five states that were in the top 10 in both of those categories: Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania and Georgia," Orvis reported. The results mirror analysis from financial services company Moody's, which analyzed President Donald Trump's campaign policy platform in August 2024 and found it would?increase inflation?and weaken economic growth, causing a recession as soon as mid-2025. Disclosure: Energy Innovation contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, and Waste Reduction/Recycling.