When Congress allowed federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to expire on Sept. 30, policymakers put at risk health coverage for nearly 9 million children of working families nationwide. For Maryland, this could mean nearly 138,000 children lose their health care if the state can’t cobble together the funds to keep the program going. It is critical that Congress moves soon to restore federal funding for CHIP or else Maryland and other states will be forced to make tough decisions as existing funding runs out. CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much income to qualify for Medicaid but still struggle to afford private health coverage along with housing, food, and other day-to-day needs. In Maryland, there are two CHIP programs, Maryland Children’s Health Program (MCHP) and MCHP Premium. MCHP provides health insurance for uninsured children under age 19 whose household is…

Amazon’s increasing dominance of the retail sector has helped squeeze traditional retailers and local businesses, prompting many to offer deep discounts before ultimately closing their doors. Maryland cities and counties should avoid the same fate as they bid for the e-commerce giant’s new headquarters. Three Maryland counties plus Baltimore City have now joined dozens of other local governments across the country in the contest to lure Amazon. They should resist the temptation to give away millions in special tax breaks, which would damage Maryland’s ability to make essential public investments and would ultimately weaken our economy. Image source: Scott Lewis, flickr (Creative Commons) More than 100 local governments across the country have declared their intention to vie for Amazon’s second headquarters since the company announced its location search earlier this month. Baltimore City was the first in Maryland to do so, with Gov. Hogan’s endorsement. Prince George’s, Howard, and Montgomery…

The percentage of Marylanders with health coverage has continued to grow since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Just as newly released census data showed the continued gains, Senate Republicans were reinvigorating their effort to repeal the ACA, putting the strides that the U.S. has made over the past several years in granting health care coverage in jeopardy. In 2016, 6.1 percent of Marylanders were uninsured, a significant drop from the 11.3 percent uninsured rate in 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. The uninsured rate also dropped among all demographic groups in the state, including people of color, immigrants, and Marylanders with different income and education levels. Despite the decline in the rate of uninsured, disparity between people of color, immigrants, and Marylanders of different income and education levels, has remained the same in comparison to the rest of the state. As shown in the chart below, the uninsured…

Many families in Maryland saw their standard of living improve in 2016, according to census data released last week. At the same time, the damage from the Great Recession is still not fully healed after almost a decade and too many in our state are still struggling to get by. Fortunately, there are policies we can adopt to ensure that everyone shares in Maryland’s economic growth. An Unfinished Recovery Typical Maryland families took home $78,900 in 2016, a 3.1 percent increase from 2015 (adjusted for inflation) and the highest median income in the country. For the first time, typical Maryland families had as much purchasing power in 2016 as before the Great Recession. However, looking at individuals’ salaries, as opposed to household income, most workers have not made up all the lost ground, earning $1,700 less in inflation-adjusted terms in 2016 than in 2007. Too many people in Maryland still…

A great public education system is one of the building blocks of Maryland’s prosperity. But as multiple independent analyses have shown, our school system doesn’t currently provide the same opportunities to all children. An education system that leaves many behind is out of step with Marylanders’ commitment to enable all children to achieve their full potential. It will also undermine our economy in the long run. The Kirwan Commission—the body charged with reviewing the state’s education policies—has a rare opportunity to strengthen Maryland’s school system. Decisions the commission will make in the coming months will affect Maryland children for many years to come. A new MDCEP report examines one of the most important policies the Kirwan Commission is reviewing: compensatory education aid, or targeted funding intended to help schools effectively serve low-income students. This funding is necessary because children in low-income families often face barriers to success in school. When…

The governor and the Board of Public Works cut already approved funding for state services by $61 million on Wednesday. Midyear cuts like this are ordinarily used to plug holes in the budget in response to lower-than-expected revenues, but the Board of Revenue Estimates last week reported that the state’s fiscal health is currently somewhat better than expected. Unnecessary cuts in the middle of the budget year mean lower-quality public services for Maryland residents and underscore the need to reform the state’s budget process. The budget cuts took the biggest chunk out of the Department of Health, which lost $22 million in funding. Next up was higher education, with $11 million in combined cuts to public four-year institutions, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and Baltimore City Community College. A wide range of other state agencies also lost funding, from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to the Commission…

Marylanders overall tend to fare better financially than the average American, according to the latest Prosperity Now Scorecard. However, even as prosperity increases in Maryland, the racial wealth gap continues to widen. Households of color in Maryland are more than twice as likely as white households to lack the liquid assets to live above the poverty level for three months if they suddenly lose their income. An unexpected financial crisis, such as the loss of a job or a serious health problem, could leave these households unable to afford the necessities. White households have an average net worth that is almost eight times higher than that of households of color. Maryland has better health outcomes and a lower uninsured rate than much of the rest of the United States. Despite this, Marylanders of color are 3.2 times more likely than whites to not have health insurance coverage, well above the…

The Trump administration and congressional leaders are gearing up to overhaul the federal tax code this fall. While many of the details remain fuzzy, one thing is clear: the administration’s top priority is to hand out big tax breaks to millionaires. These tax cuts would cost trillions in lost revenue and build pressure for damaging cuts to essential services—all while doing little to boost the economy or help working families. Congress should vote down any tax package resembling the one outlined by the administration. The Trump administration has never released a detailed proposal that fully explains the White House’s vision on taxes. Nonetheless, a brief statement of principles issued earlier this year calls for unbalanced cuts that would predominantly benefit millionaires. Some of the most egregious cuts include: Cutting the corporate tax rate by more than half and allowing a larger group of businesses and wealthy individuals to take advantage…

Federal funding for Medicaid remains under threat from proposals to drastically restructure it, even though most Americans oppose significant funding cuts to Medicaid. The program provides health care coverage to low income families, individuals with disabilities, veterans and seniors, who otherwise would not be able to afford it. Medicaid is also an important component to addressing the opioid epidemic. In Maryland, 1.3 million residents receive health care coverage through Medicaid, including nearly 290,000 who are able to receive coverage as a result of the expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Proposals to restructure Medicaid grants to states using block grants or per capita caps are designed to drastically reduce federal investment in Medicaid over time. As a result, Maryland would have to increase state funding to make up the difference, by raising taxes or cutting other programs, or make reductions to program eligibility or benefits. A Medicaid block grant would…

For low-income families throughout Maryland, finding an affordable place to live is an uphill battle. Rent has skyrocketed, three-quarters of people who qualify for housing assistance vouchers can’t get them due to lack of funding, and many affordable housing units are in severe disrepair. For those who are able to find a home, an eviction can easily undo all of their hard work. This is especially an issue for families struggling to get by in Baltimore. Each year, 150,000 cases are filed in the city’s Rent Court, and nearly 7,000 households are evicted as a result. In disputes between tenants and landlords, judges overwhelmingly favor landlords, even in cases where court-appointed inspectors have found the housing they provide to be a threat to tenants health and safety. Judges frequently blame tenants for substandard living conditions, when it is the legal responsibility of landlords to provide habitable housing. Landlords also have…