Greene County Democrat

Tag: American Rescue Plan (ARP)

  • Newswire : Vice President Harris announces final rule to remove medical debt from credit reports

    Vice President Kamala Harris discusses regulations on medical debt

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

     Vice President Kamala Harris has announced a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule to eliminate medical debt from consumer credit reports. The White House explained in a release that the action would remove $49 billion in unpaid medical bills, benefiting 15 million Americans by raising credit scores and improving access to home loans, cars, and small businesses.

    Administration officials further noted that states and localities have already leveraged funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to eliminate over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans. These efforts are part of a broader push to reduce the financial strain caused by medical emergencies, with jurisdictions projected to eliminate roughly $15 billion in medical debt for up to six million individuals.

    “No one should be denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency. That is why we have worked to cancel more than $1 billion in medical debt with support from the American Rescue Plan,” Harris remarked during the announcement. “This final rule ensures that medical debt will no longer be included in credit scores, transforming the financial futures of millions.”

    Medical debt remains the largest source of debt in collections, surpassing credit card, utility, and auto loan debt combined. The CFPB has reported that medical bills are often riddled with errors and inflated charges, making them a poor indicator of an individual’s creditworthiness. Officials added that the rule would remove medical debt from credit reports, building on earlier changes by major credit agencies that excluded specific categories of medical debt.

    According to administration data, jurisdictions including Cook County, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; and New Jersey have relieved hundreds of millions in medical debt for residents. For example, Cook County eliminated $382 million in debt for over 210,000 individuals. North Carolina recently launched an initiative to forgive up to $4 billion in medical debt for nearly two million residents, ensuring hospitals adopt policies that reduce the risk of future debt while improving financial assistance systems.

    The Biden-Harris Administration has also implemented broader reforms to address the root causes of medical debt, including enforcing requirements for tax-exempt hospitals to provide financial assistance, simplifying debt forgiveness processes for veterans, and protecting consumers from surprise medical bills.

    “This unprecedented rule reflects our commitment to lowering costs and creating pathways to financial stability for families across the nation,” Harris stated.

     

  • Newswire : Biden Administration unveils new initiatives to combat school segregation on Brown v. Board 70th Anniversary

    Descendants of families involved in historic Supreme Court decision, along with NAACP President, Derrick Johnson, address school desegregation 


    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    On the 70th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, President Joe Biden emphasized his administration’s commitment to educational equity by announcing new funding and resources aimed at enhancing school diversity and tackling racial segregation. The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling declared racially segregated schools unconstitutional, but recent data reveals persistent inequities in U.S. education.

    “Every student deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them to be the next generation of leaders,” President Biden stated. To further this goal, the Biden-Harris Administration introduced several initiatives, including a $20 million investment through the Department of Education’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP). This funding will support magnet programs in states such as Arkansas, Colorado, and Florida, designed to attract students from diverse backgrounds.

    Additionally, the administration’s 2025 budget proposal seeks $139 million for MSAP and $10 million for the Fostering Diverse Schools program.
    Moreover, a new Technical Assistance Center on Fiscal Equity will assist states and districts in developing fair resource allocation strategies. The initiative aims to address the stark resource disparities that exist between racially and economically segregated schools.

    Stephen Benjamin, senior adviser to Biden and former mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, acknowledged the ongoing challenges. “There’s an acknowledgment every day with our president that we’re not where we ought to be, but we’re certainly not where we used to be. Still a lot of work to be done,” Benjamin declared.

    The research underscores the strong correlation between school segregation and racial achievement gaps. The desegregation following Brown significantly boosted graduation rates for Black and Latino students. However, recent decades have seen a reversal, with segregation between white and Black students increasing by 64% since 1988, and economic segregation rising by 50% since 1991. According to the Department of Education’s State of School Diversity Report, racially isolated schools often lack the critical resources necessary for student success.

    To combat these trends, the Department of Education announced the release of new data on access to math and science courses, highlighting ongoing racial disparities. The administration said it also plans to launch an interagency effort to preserve African American history, ensuring that students and the public have access to essential historical and cultural resources.

    Officials noted that the American Rescue Plan has directed $130 billion to the nation’s schools, with a focus on underserved institutions. This includes nearly $2 billion in additional Title I funding, and a five-fold increase in funding for Full-Service Community Schools, which provide essential services to students and families in need.

    Recognizing the importance of teacher diversity, the administration has prioritized efforts to increase the number of educators of color. Competitive grant programs have awarded $450 million to support teacher recruitment and retention, with a particular focus on diversity. Additionally, the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Grant program has provided over $23 million to HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs for teacher preparation.

    The president met with family members of the plaintiffs from the Brown v. Board case. Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of lead plaintiff Oliver Brown, expressed the ongoing struggle for educational equity. “We’re still fighting the battle over whose children do we invest in. Any time we can talk about failing underfunded public schools, there is a problem,” Henderson said. NAACP President Derrick Johnson, also in attendance, affirmed, “We must continue to fight on all fronts.”

    As the nation reflects on seven decades since Brown v. Board of Education, the White House said that the Biden Administration’s initiatives signal a renewed effort to fulfill the promise of equitable education for all. Schools “remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines,” according to a 2022 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. “With around 18.5 million children attending schools where 75 percent or more of students were of a single race or ethnicity.”
     

  • Greene County Commission approves $10 million budget; approves $150,000 for purchase of new ambulance

    At its regular October meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the Greene County Commission approved a $10 million dollar operating budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.

    This budget includes $3.4 million dollar General Fund, which covers most expenses of the county. It also includes a $2.5 million Gasoline Fund and other special funds which support the Highway Department and maintenance of roads and bridges in the county. It also includes funds to satisfy bond issues for the courthouse and jail construction.

    The Commission also approved a supplementary budget for additional positions in the Sheriff’s Department including School Resource Officers and additional deputies and jail positions. This budget also includes payment of a vehicle lease for new cars and vans.

    Agreements have been worked out between the Commission and the Board of Education for the payment for the resource officers. A separate agreement has been worked out with Sheriff Jonathan Benison for payment
    of the other additional personnel and an addition $75,000 a month ($900,000) a year for the Commission in funding from electronic bingo, for the general use of the county and to help with new capital expenditures or matching Federal funds for special projects.

    Under these agreements, the Board of Education and Sheriff’s Department must advance three months payment for staffing and the Sheriff must provide the $75,000 payment by the fifth of the month. The Sheriff provided a check for $163,000, which included the $88,000 advance and $75,000 for the month of September, however, the Sheriff still owes the $75,000 for October.

    Commissioners Lester Brown and Tennyson Smith pointed out that the Sheriff also has not returned vehicles he promised to return to the county, after the Commission agreed to lease new ones. Brown also said the Sheriff receives funds from the jail telephone and commissary which he does not report or give to the county General Fund. The Commission agreed to write the Sheriff to return the cars by Friday Noon and pay the $75,000 in bingo funds for October.

    The County Attorney pointed out that if the Sheriff or the Board of Education does not honor its payments under the agreements that the County Commission will not be obligated to pay the supplementary staff on these budgets.

    Macaroy Underwood, County CFO reported that $381,781 in bills had been paid for September and an additional $76,012 in electronic payments had been made. He also asked the Commission to approve two budget amendments for payments made to staff for extra service during the pandemic.

    The Commission approved an allocation of $150,000 for a new ambulance for the Greene County EMS, from the county’s $787,0000 allocation from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. This will be a truck mounted ambulance that can be used for wrecks on the Interstate and other tasks in rural areas of the county. The Commission had previously approved $90,000 in ARP funds for an ambulance but this will only support a van type ambulance, which is not suitable for all tasks. The new ambulance will not be available until July 2022, but the Greene County EMS may be able to get a loaner model until the new ambulance is delivered.

    In other actions, The Greene County Commission:

    • Approved a resolution for Workmen’s Compensation for employees.

    • Approved a Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday for February 25-27, 2022.

    • Approved advertising for a full-time worker for the Solid Waste Department.

    • Approved continuation of the CIMS contract, for computer maintenance; and purchased an ice machine for the Highway Department.

    • Approved an incentive payment of $3,000 for full time employees and $1,500 for part time employees of the county, for pandemic service, to be paid out of ARP funds.