Community Advocates Offers Ambitious Anti-poverty Agenda

by | September 10, 2012

Home 9 Family Economic Security 9 Community Advocates Offers Ambitious Anti-poverty Agenda ( Page 6 )

At a briefing in Milwaukee this afternoon, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute presented a policy agenda for reducing poverty in Wisconsin by more than 50 percent.  A rigorous analysis of the proposals by the Urban Institute concludes that the proposed package of policies could reduce the state’s poverty rate “by 58 to 66 percent, depending on assumptions.”  The agenda includes four components: an increase in the minimum wage to $8, a Senior and Disability Income Tax Credit, creation of a new transitional jobs program, and expansion of income tax credits related to earnings. The Urban Institute analysis concludes that, “combining the new policies with full participation in existing entitlement programs reduces Wisconsin poverty by 81 percent.”

The analysis of the proposals uses a “supplemental poverty measure,” rather than the traditional federal definition. That’s necessary because the current federal definition of income used for purposes of measuring poverty doesn’t include certain federal and state benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).  As a result, it doesn’t capture the positive effects of policy changes like increasing the EITC.

You can read the Urban Institute report here.

 Jon Peacock

Kids Forward
Kids Forward

Join us to build a Wisconsin where every child and family thrives.

Recent

Language Access in Wisconsin

Language Access in Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s diversity is one of our greatest strengths. But when children and their families face language access barriers, they are often excluded from critical information and services, which can hinder their development and well-being.

Dia de los Niños (Children’s Day) Comes Back to Madison

Dia de los Niños (Children’s Day) Comes Back to Madison

Download as PDF Media Advisory Thursday, April 25, 2024 Contact: Emily Miota, 262-853-6863, emiota@kidsforward.org Families across the Madison area are invited to celebrate Dia de los Niños (Children’s Day), a cherished and traditional celebration that embraces the...

Los Derechos de Inmigrantes en Wisconsin

Los Derechos de Inmigrantes en Wisconsin

¡Únase con nosotros! Este evento es para todos los trabajadores que quieran aprender sobre sus derechos laborales. ¡Comida y bebidas! Sabado 11 de Mayo Chilton Public Library221 Park Street, Chilton, WI 5301411am - 1pmEn alianza con the Multicultural Coalition....

Sign up for Emails

Your address helps us identify your legislators and the most relevant messages to send you.