HPV Heads to House

This week SB 778, my HPV vaccine bill, received final Senate approval and is now headed down the hall to the House. At the same time a study from the CDC was released that shows 1/4 of all teenage girls have an STD. Yikes. Looks like more proof that abstinence-only education is a $1.5 billion failure.

Should be a No-Brainer

I had a hearing today on SB 777, a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

The Federal EITC was established in 1975 to help low-income workers. Ronald Reagan called the EITC "The best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, and the best job creation measure to come out of Congress." He also described it as "what America is all about." I agree. My proposal creates a refundable credit at 20% of the federal EITC.

Twenty-three states currently have an EITC. It is a proven tool to lift working poor families above the federal poverty level. Indeed, last year the federal EITC is estimated to have lifted over 2 million children out of poverty.

SB 777 was heard at the same time as Senator Jeff Smith's SB 852. The bills were heard in the Senate Ways and Means committee.