Maine passes 2 bills to reduce ‘welfare cliff’
The bills aim to keep families transitioning from welfare to work from losing health, financial, and education benefits until they are earning enough to fully support themselves.
Economic inequality
Kazakhstan writes off debts of more than 3 million citizens
More than 3 million Kazakhs in the energy-rich country of 18 million will get help to escape debts averaging 300,000 tenge ($790).
California lawmakers approve bill to give workers full pay for family leave
The legislation would give workers in the state 100% of their wages when on family leave.
Connecticut passes $15 minimum wage
The Fight for $15 notched another major victory with lawmakers in Connecticut approving a plan to implement a $15 wage floor across the state by 2023.
Maryland becomes the sixth U.S. state to raise the minimum wage to $15
Lawmakers managed to override Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a minimum wage bill. Maryland’s current minimum wage is $10.10, and the new policy will gradually raise the wage floor to $15 by 2025.
Landmark study finds tackling inequality is key to realizing UN Sustainable Development Goals
A landmark study of the relationship between each of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has found that tackling inequality in rich countries could unlock the prize of a better and more sustainable future for all.
New study suggests universal basic income won’t make people work less
A two-year study in Finland found that people who received UBI worked no less than a control group — bolstering the case for a basic income as the world economy transitions to greater automation.
Indian state of Sikkim is launching the largest basic income experiment in history
Sikkim will provide cash payments to each of its 610,000 citizens — the largest basic income experiment in history.
New Jersey to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour
The new plan would raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour on July 1, $11 an hour in 2020, $12 an hour in 2021, $13 in 2022, $14 in 2023 and $15 in 2024.
Microsoft pledges $500 million for affordable housing in Seattle area
Microsoft’s money represents the most ambitious effort by a tech company to directly address the inequality that has spread in areas where the industry is concentrated. It will fund construction for homes affordable not only to the company’s own non-tech workers, but also for teachers, firefighters, and other middle- and low-income residents.