Tackling Poverty: The Role of State and Local Governments

Americans increasingly face financial uncertainty as they struggle to make ends meet during a period of rising food and fuel prices, a continuing mortgage crisis, and an overall economic downturn. Yet even before these latest challenges, a growing number of state and local governments launched comprehensive anti-poverty initiatives. These include special legislative caucuses, poverty reduction targets, and information-sharing summits.

On July 28, the Half in Ten Campaign, the National League of Cities, and Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity hosted a policy forum featuring two panels to explore this growing trend. The first panel offered an overview of state and local efforts, with a discussion between Joy Moses of Half in Ten and the Center for American Progress Action Fund’s Poverty Program; Susan Golonka, Director of the Human Services, Social, Economic, and Workforce Programs for the National Governor’s Association; Jodie Levin-Epstein of Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, and the Deputy Director of the Center for Law and Social Policy; and Cliff Johnson, the Executive Director of the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families at the National League of Cities.

The second panel looked at specific policies enacted by states and cities. Moderated by Half in Ten and the Center for American Progress Action Fund’s Mark Greenberg, this panel featured Connecticut State Senator Jonathan Harris, chair of the Human Services Committee; New York City Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs; Gregory Gray, Director of the Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota by 2020; and Amy Rynell, Program Director of the Heartland Alliance of Illinois.