Pam Althoff Sums Up Legislative Session – Part 11

A press release from State Senator Pam Althoff:

Pam Althoff.

Pam Althoff.

End of Session Review

Repealing Welfare Reforms

The Medicaid expansion may encapsulate the philosophical differences between the parties, but it was far from the lone example. Indeed, 2013 saw a laundry list’s worth of issues that separated the parties, as Democrats, emboldened by supermajorities in the Senate and House, had free reign to pursue their agenda.

They rolled back welfare reform by allowing public aid recipients in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program to hold unlimited assets in cash, real estate and personal property, while continuing to collect taxpayer-paid benefits (HB 2262).

The law already exempted the family’s primary residence, household furnishings, clothing, personal effects, $2,000 in cash for one person or $3,000 for two, one automobile, as well as life insurance and burial coverage. With this change, persons with virtually unlimited assets, but who have a temporary drop in income, could receive welfare benefits no matter what their personal wealth might be. No Republicans supported this rollback of welfare reforms.


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