This post is written by guest blogger Ann Blyberg Schools, counties and other local jurisdictions should be making contingency plans in case the U.S. Supreme Court rules against Maryland in a challenge to part of the state’s tax system. If they don’t, the consequences may be drastic, with more than $40 million a year in tax revenue and $250 million in claims for refunds at stake. Montgomery County alone “could lose $25 million annually and be liable for $150 million in back claims,” according to the Washington Post. An adverse decision could hardly come at a worse time. Schools and counties are only beginning to recover from the 2008 recession and the substantial cuts made to education, public facilities, and public safety in the wake of that crisis. At issue is whether the state has improperly failed to give some tax credits to Maryland residents for income taxes they paid…

The Food Supplement Program (FSP), helps over 780,000 Maryland families put food on the table. Maryland’s FSP is the state’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Of the 780,000 people receiving FSP, approximately 325,000 are children and 70,000 are seniors. Without FSP families and individuals would not be able to afford food. For children and seniors, going without food can have dire consequences. Children who do not receive adequate nutrition are more likely to act out in class and have lower grades, while seniors are more likely to have increased health risks associated with inadequate food. At very little cost to the state, FSP has positive long term effects on Maryland as a whole. Beyond the benefit to Maryland’s families, children, and seniors, FSP is also a great resource for local businesses. Because FSP benefits are used within Maryland, the state’s businesses also receive a boost…

Child care subsidies have been an important part of helping families get and maintain employment, as we’ve previously reported. With stagnant wages and increasing child care costs, the subsidy helps lower income families have access to quality child care. A year of child care in Maryland is greater than a year of under graduate tuition at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Without child care a family would have to choose between having both parents employed (which would decrease their chance for financial independence), or if it was a single parent household, even having employment. The subsidy also provides compensation to thousands of child care workers in Maryland. This legislative session provides an opportunity for lawmakers to protect and expand the child care subsidy. Read more on how Maryland can strengthen working families here…

This post is written by guest blogger Ann Blyberg Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the country, yet large numbersof people here struggle each month to pay their rent.  The state government has launched a project, Rental Housing Works, which the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) says is making real progress toward  ensuring that affordable housing will be within the reach of those who need it. However, while the state is helping finance record levels of construction of affordable housing, the percentage of renters in the state who spend 30% or more of their household income on housing – considered too high by most experts — has remained relatively unchanged over the past five years. A recent DHCD report details the state’s accomplishments under Rental Housing Works. The 80 affordable housing projects underway in the state are “an unprecedented number – more than we have had…

Earned sick leave benefits the employee, employer, and Maryland’s economy. However, Maryland lawmakers missed an opportunity last legislative session to provide the benefit to the 40 percent of employees who currently cannot take a sick day for fear of losing income or their very livelihood. Senate Bill 753 and House Bill 968 would have guaranteed more than 700,000 private sector employees the right to earn paid sick leave, based on the number of hours they worked. Additionally, both pieces of legislation would have provided victims of domestic violence with paid time off for court sessions related to their abuse. Providing sick leave comes at no net cost to employers and can actually save them an estimated $3 million by reducing employee turnover and increasing public health. People of color would particularly benefit because they are the least likely workers to already have sick leave. Fifty-seven percent of Hispanic workers and…

A new report released this week outlines the mistreatment of workers who rely on tips and calls for policy makers to eliminate the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, but in Maryland, legislators have effectively done just the opposite. Tipped workers who earn the sub-minimum wage – just $3.63 an hour in Maryland – are more likely to be sexually harassed at work, according to a study published by the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC). Due to their dependence on tips because of the low sub-minimum wage, tipped workers are more likely to endure sexual harassment, rather than report problems. Yet Maryland froze the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers last legislative session. Previously the sub-minimum wage was tied to the minimum wage and any increase in the minimum wage would result in an increase in the sub-minimum wage. While legislators voted to incrementally increase the state minimum wage to $10.10 over the…

Working women and childcare Funding for childcare is dwindling. The primary federal funding source, the Childcare and Development Fund, is awaiting reauthorization for the first time in 18 years. Childcare costs in Maryland have risen so drastically that it now costs more for a year of childcare than a year of undergraduate tuition at an in-state school. This cost can consume a major share of families’ incomes. Childcare is a necessity for single-parent households and Maryland has one of the highest percentages of low-income families headed by working women. Maryland cannot afford to wait for the federal government to fund quality programs. Maryland can choose to support working women and child development now.             Nearly 50 percent of Maryland working-age women are employed full-time. For mothers with children under 12, 79 percent are working. The share of women in the workforce has been on the rise since the 1940’s. Prior to…

Today’s blog is by guest blogger Ann Blyberg Incarcerating juveniles takes a big toll on them — and the communities they return to.  Community-based programs are a better alternative, as highlighted in a recent report from the state Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit (JJMU). JJMU, which is part of the Maryland attorney general’s office, maintains that the $179 million Maryland plans to spend in the coming fiscal year to building three new juvenile detention facilities could be better spent providing intensive counseling and other services to high-risk youth in community-based settings.  JJMU bolsters its case by citing high recidivism rates for youth coming out of detention settings, compared to the lower rate of repeat offenses by those relying on community-based services. It does not dispute the Department of Juvenile Service’s assertion that recidivism rates in Maryland are in line with national norms, but cites national studies by the National Research Council…

Slower economic recovery for women in Maryland Women in Maryland face significant economic hardships, including higher rates of poverty than men, according to the most recent Census data. One in 10 women over the age of 18 lives at or below the poverty threshold (which is just $19,790 for a family of 3). For men the rate is closer to 1 in 14. For female-headed households, that number jumps to 1 in 5. Add children under the age of 5 to the household and the poverty rate hits nearly 1 in 3. Women of color are more likely to live at or below the poverty threshold. This follows a consistent theme that has emerged since the end of the Great Recession: not all Marylanders are benefiting from the recovery. As we’ve written about before, this is true for minorities, young workers, and workers with less education. It’s also true for…

A new look at income and poverty in Maryland highlights that many families have not yet recovered from the recession and underscores the need for Maryland policymakers to do more to help struggling people afford basics like decent housing, nutritious food, and reliable child care and transportation. Wages remain stagnant and poverty held steady in Maryland, according to new information released by the Census Bureau this week. Maryland saw no change in its median income, adjusted for inflation, between 2010 and 2013, The American Community Survey reports. Additionally, 1 in 10 Marylanders continue to live in poverty. That’s less than $24,000 a year for a family of four. For children the situation is bleaker, with 13 percent of children living in poverty. One silver lining: The number of Marylanders without health insurance decreased between 2010 and 2013 as a greater number of residents gained coverage. More children also gained access…