Spare Change News

Author: Andrea Sears

  • Reductions in Prison Population Lag for Women

    Prison populations are dropping in most states, but a new study finds that the number of incarcerated women is not falling as fast as it is for men. Nationally, the total prison population peaked around 2009. The study, compiled by the Prison Policy Initiative, shows that most states have made progress in reducing their overall…

  • Minimum Wage Increase Would Be Boon For Families that Depend on Teens’ Paychecks

    A new study from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center says raising the minimum wage has little impact on teen unemployment, but can have a big impact on teens and their families. On Monday, 18 states saw their minimum wages increase, but Massachusetts wasn’t among them. A bill in the state legislature would raise the…

  • Healthcare Advocates Slam Proposed Insurance Rule

    The federal Department of Labor is proposing a rule that critics say would allow the sale of what some call “junk” health insurance. Published in the Federal Register last week, the rule would loosen restrictions on Association Health Plans, offered by professional groups or other associations to their members. The Labor Department said the purpose…

  • No More “Free and Open” Internet? Party-Line Vote at FCC Scuttles Net Neutrality

    No More “Free and Open” Internet? Party-Line Vote at FCC Scuttles Net Neutrality

    The Federal Communications Commission has voted to repeal net neutrality rules. In a party-line vote on Thursday, the FCC approved a proposal to end regulations that prohibit Internet service providers from blocking or slowing down access or prioritizing their own content. Commission Chair Ajit Pai said repealing the Obama-era rules will help consumers and promote…

  • Bay State Takes a Step Toward Single Payer

    Bay State Takes a Step Toward Single Payer

    State senators have approved an amendment to a bill that could help pave the way to a single-payer health-care system in Massachusetts. The amendment, now attached to a larger health-care reform bill in the legislature, directs the state’s nonpartisan Health Policy Commission to compare three years of actual health care costs in the state to…