1999

01-01-99 MPA Searching For Work That Pays. ?À Montana's jobs are failing to pay workers a living wage.

2000

12-01-00 Investing in Montana's Families.?À Working families in Montana cannot afford health insurance,but a new

federal opportunity allows Montana to create an affordable insurance program at minimal cost.

05-01-00 No Healthy Start in Montana. State enrollment process prevents childrenfrom accessing CHIP and

Medicaid.?À This report discusses how Montana can provide greater health insurance coverage to children.

2001

12-01-01 Hunger Under The Big Sky. Low-income Montana families face hunger.?À This report describes how state can improve the Food Stamp Program.

06-01-01 Searching for Work that Pays.?À Most Montana job openings fail to pay a living wage and are often biaed by race and gender.

2003

10-30-03 Living Sicker, Dying Younger - Montana's Indian people have poorer health, higher disease rates, lower life expectancy and greater difficulty obtaining healthcare than other Montanans.?À Nearly 40 percent of American Indian Montanans are uninsured.?À Many are ineligible for Indian Health Services (IHS) because they do not live on a reservation and/or are not a member of a federally recognized tribe.?À And the American Indian Montanans who do have access to IHS do not receive comprehensive healthcare; they must deal with severe underfunding and understaffing, as well as long wait lists and rationed care.?À Many Indian people are unable to receive needed care.

04-14-03?À No End in Sight Over the past five years, Montanaâ•?s Legislature passed large tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy Montanans. The recent recession, coupled with years of these tax breaks, has resulted in dramatic declines in state revenue.?À Montana ends the legislative session basically where it began: with an unstable revenue stream, and deep cuts to public programs that worsen economic conditions, increase the stateâ•?s long term costs and budget problems, and shred Montanaâ•?s safety net â•? eliminating many of the supports Montanaâ•?s poorest families need to live safe, healthy, and productive lives.?À Montanaâ•?s budget has a revenue problem, and needs revenue solutions that will adequately and stably fund Montanaâ•?s programs.

02-07-03?À Stamp Out Hunger ?À The Food Stamp Program is one of the most cost-effective public assistance programs available to states because the federal government covers the entire cost of food stamp benefits and states only pay half of the administrative costs.?À By increasing food stamp allocations, Monatana could ensure that people have sufficient food.?À In turn, such an increase would benefit local economies through increased federal dollars.

01-06-03?À Stop the War on the Poor?ÀCurrent projections show a Montana general fund deficit of nearly $250 million for the 2004-2005 budget,as well as a deficit for fiscal year 2003.The governorâ•?s proposed budget for fiscal years 2004-2005 and the Department of Public Health and Human Servicesâ•? (DPHHS) proposed cuts for fiscal year 2003, coupled with earlier cuts, will shred Montanaâ•?s safety net â•? eliminating many of the supports Montanaâ•?s poorest families need to live safe, healthy and productive lives. Cuts only worsen economic conditions, increasing the stateâ•?s long term costs and budget problems.

2004

09-23-04 The Northwest Job Gap Study estimates what a living wage is for a number of family structures, estimates the number of job openings that pay a living wage, and estimates the gap between the number of living wage jobs being created in the Northwest and the number of people needing living wage jobs.

2005

11-17-05?À The Northwest Job Gap Study estimates what a living wage is for a number of family structures, estimates the number of job openings that pay a living wage, and estimates the gap between the number of living wage jobs being created in the Northwest and the number of people needing living wage jobs.

10-24-05 ?À To Protect and Serve? Unequal Treatment in the Billings Police Department - A study conducted by the Montana People?´s Action (MPA) reveals problems within the police department that lead to distrust and fear among residents of lower-income neighborhoods of the city. The report offers recommendations for truly serving and protecting the whole community.

02-02-05 ?À Insuring and End to Montana?´s Health Care Crisis - Small businesses and individuals are struggling to keep up with increases in health insurance premiums. There is a widespread feeling that costs are rising, while quality declines. Montana has a number of options for restoring accountability, transparency, and integrity in health insurance.

2006

9-19-06 ?À Northwest Job Gap Studies Living Wage Jobs in the Economy The report calculates a basic family budget for different families structures in the Northwest. Based on this living wage the study then estimates the number and proportion of current jobs that provide a sufficient wage to support an individual or a family?´s basic needs without relying on public assistance.

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