Government

Last week Congress introduced these bills: Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, a bill to ensure access to high-quality child care for homeless children and families, and for other purposes. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-LA, a bill to permit health plans without a deductible for prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care to be treated as high deductible plans with respect to health savings accounts. Rep. Gene Green, D-TX, a bill to provide for 12-month continuous enrollment of individuals under the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program. more »

Frances Perkins speaks: One thing I know: Social Security is so firmly embedded in the American psychology today that no politician, no political party, no political group could possibly destroy this Act and still maintain our democratic system. It is safe. It is safe forever, and for the everlasting benefit of the people of the United States. more »

Research shows that programs with trained examiners, such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) or Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs), using modern standards like those in the SAFE Protocol significantly increase evidence collection and investigation in sexual assault cases. Better evidence collection results in significantly higher prosecution rates, convictions, and guilty-pleas. more »

Maggie Clark of Stateline writes: In recent years, federal funding for state homeland security efforts to respond to emergencies has been gutted.Federal grant spending on state and local homeland security is at an all-time low. In Massachusetts, funding from the state homeland security grant program is down 76 percent in the last five years, to $4 million in fiscal 2012, according to Federal Funds Information for States. The state ranked 34th in per capita spending in homeland security grant funding, at $1.20 per person. more »