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A state senator has dropped a bid to change Louisiana’s unique jungle primary system for congressional races in favor of closed party primaries, shelving an issue that has created sharp public divisions between some of the state’s leading Republicans.

State Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, pulled her bill to change the state’s primary system Wednesday, saying more study is warranted.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty and a lot of stress. We’re in a state that’s had a jungle primary for a very, very long time,” Hewitt said. “I don’t think we’re really at that place yet in our state.”

Currently, Louisiana has a unusual election system where all candidates appear on the same primary ballot, regardless of party. If one candidate gets over 50%, they win. If not, the top two candidates move to a runoff. Louisiana is one of a handful of states that puts all candidates on the same ballot regardless of party.

The Louisiana Republican Party, with the support of key GOP leaders like Attorney General Jeff Landry and U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, has pushed for the Legislature to move Louisiana to closed party primaries. Scalise said his main aim is to hold elections for Congress earlier, which would send the winner to D.C. in November as other states do, instead of holding December runoffs. But the timing can’t be changed without altering the election system, because incumbents often win outright in the primary, and the state can’t elect its members of Congress before November.

Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central, pushed forward another idea Wednesday: Holding the primaries for congressional races in September, with November runoffs, and if a candidate wins outright in the primary, the state would hold off on declaring the winner until November. That would address Scalise's issue, he said. The proposal – House Bill 557 – was advanced by the House and Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday.

But the proposal to do away with open primaries entirely drew intense pushback from some other Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. Nungesser went to a meeting of the Republican State Central Committee last month to argue the move would produce “extreme candidates.”

Nungesser, who has shown a willingness to work with Democrats, said he will likely run for governor in 2023. Landry is considered a potential candidate as well, and Nungesser suggested the attorney general couldn't win that race unless the state were to move to closed primaries.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, both Republicans from Baton Rouge, have also come out against the proposed change, arguing candidates should try to appeal to the entire state instead of only people registered with a specific party.

Some of the state’s more conservative Republicans make the opposite argument: They believe if candidates have to first win a nomination by only registered Republicans, it will produce more conservative candidates, which they see as a good thing. That idea gained steam following Cassidy’s vote to convict former President Donald Trump on charges of incitement of insurrection, a decision that drew fury from many Louisiana Trump supporters.

Louisiana is a heavily Republican state in voting patterns, with every statewide office besides governor currently held by a Republican, and seven of eight congressional seats held by the GOP. But the state still has more registered Democrats than Republicans because of a large contingency of people who registered as Democrats when that was the dominant party in Louisiana but now regularly vote for Republicans. Some GOP officials have said closing the party primaries would help change that idiosyncrasy.

Hewitt’s bill was the result of a task force that studied the idea of moving to closed party primaries. Ahead of the legislative session, the task force -- which included Democrats -- recommended the state change to closed party primaries for Congressional races, while leaving the open primary in place for other elections. Hewitt’s bill would have made the change in law.

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he 2015 session was the first time a death with dignity bill was considered in the Colorado legislature after the Oregon Death with Dignity Act went into effect. Colorado had considered physician-assisted dying bills in 1995 (HB 95-1308) and 1996 (HB 96-1185).

On November 8, 2016, Colorado voters passed Proposition 106, the End of Life Options Act, at the ballot by 65 to 35 percent (or 2 to 1) margin. The law went into effect on December 16, 2016.

Should this bill be enacted?

In the 2017 legislative session, opponents of the new aid in dying law introduced HB 1368, a bill that would amend the Act to allow, rather than require, the attending physician or hospice medical director to sign the death certificate of someone who used an aid-in-dying medication. The bill died in committee.

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Learn about Colorado's Medical Aid in Dying law, patient eligibility requirements, and how to navigate the process in the state of Colorado.

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In California voters have approved US$5.5 billion in funding for stem-cell and other medical research, granting a lifeline to a controversial state agency. But scientists are split over whether the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in Oakland is a worthwhile investment for the US state — or for the field of stem-cell research.

·         On November 12 the associated press announced that California had passed the proposal, which will pay for the state bond sale. The bill was passed to authorize new funds for CIRM, called Proposition 14. But critics of CIRM are concerned about oversight at the state agency, which has faced complaints about potential conflicts of interest among its board members for years. They also point out that the field has grown and now receives federal support, making state funding hard to justify — especially amid a pandemic that has imperiled California’s economy.
·         The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was created by a California ballot initiative to make stem cell research a constitutional right, in response to Bush administration restrictions on stem cell research. The initiative created a taxpayer-funded, multibillion-dollar institution, intended to advance public health by developing cures and treatments for diabetes, cancer, paralysis, and other conditions. The initiative has been highly controversial among stakeholders and watchdog groups concerned with organizational transparency, accountability, and the ethics of stem cell research. We interviewed major stakeholders—both supporters and opponents—and analyzed documents and meeting notes. We found that the CIRM has overcome start-up challenges, been selectively influenced by criticism, and adhered to its core mission.

People that don't think that the covid-19 outbreak was real or a big deal are having problems with this new law. California's citizens didn't want all of the states money to go to fund this very important stem cell research that could save their lives one day, they don't the money being taken out of there checks every week they are more worried about the now and not the future.

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Voters in California have approved US$5.5 billion in funding for stem-cell and other medical research, granting a lifeline to a controversial state agency. But scientists are split over whether the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in Oakland is a worthwhile investment for the US state - or for the field of stem-cell research.

A measure to authorize new funds for CIRM, called Proposition 14, appeared on California ballots in the recent US election. After more than a week of vote counting, on 12 November the Associated Press announced that California had passed the proposal, which will be paid for with a state bond sale.

But critics of CIRM are concerned about oversight at the state agency, which has faced complaints about potential conflicts of interest among its board members for years. They also point out that the field has grown and now receives federal support, making state funding hard to justify - especially amid a pandemic that has imperilled California's economy.

"Unfortunately, Proposition 14 sets a bad example for the use of public money for the advancement of science," says Zach Hall, a neurobiologist who led CIRM as its first president between 2005 and 2007.

"As scientists, everybody always welcomes additional funding," says Arlene Chiu, former director of scientific activities at CIRM. "But as a Californian, one wonders if there are better ways to do this."

Votes for science

Launched 16 years ago, CIRM drew top researchers to the state, and put California on the map as a hub for regenerative-medicine research. With CIRM's original $3 billion in state money running out last year, California property developer Robert Klein - an advocate for stem-cell research after his son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and the agency's original backer - began canvassing support for new funding. His efforts landed Proposition 14 on this year's ballot.

"It is extraordinary that the patient-advocacy groups and the medical societies and the scientific societies have been able to act as a single coalition to reach millions of California voters," says Klein, who co-wrote the 2004 ballot measure creating the agency and served as the institute's founding chair until 2011.

Some scientists are proponents of the agency, and say that the financial boost could push the field of regenerative medicine forwards. "It is very exciting that Prop. 14 passed and that CIRM will continue its funding," says Cato Laurencin, a biomedical engineer at the University of Connecticut in Farmington, who is not funded by the institute. "This field is at a bit of an inflection point in terms of our understanding of stem-cell science."

The approved proposition will cost Californians $260 million annually for the next 30 years. Some of the money will go towards training scientists and building new facilities; $1.5 billion of the total funds has been earmarked for research on brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, for which treatments have been elusive.

A worthwhile investment?

CIRM emerged in 2004, when stem-cell research was a nascent field. Stem cells' ability to renew themselves and to transform into a variety of other cell types offered the promise of treatments for challenging conditions such as heart disease and stroke, in which cells are irreversibly damaged. Much work at the time relied on stem cells obtained from human embryos donated by fertility clinics. Citing ethical concerns about the destruction of fertilized embryos, in 2001, US president George W. Bush severely restricted research in this area, and the science hit a wall.

So, three years later, CIRM's launch was a boon. "It gave a tremendous boost to the field at a time when things looked very bad," says Hall, who joined the agency in its earliest months.

CIRM has since handed out (as of June 2020) $2.7 billion in grants to California scientists studying a variety of diseases, including diabetes, AIDS and leukaemia. It has built a dozen research facilities, funded more than 60 clinical trials and, according to an independent, agency-funded report, helped create more than 56,500 jobs in the state.

But the agency has also drawn criticism for poor management of its public funds. A 2012 Institute of Medicine report pointed out that CIRM's policy of allowing board members to vote on grants or issues benefiting their institutions posed a potential conflict of interest. Unusually for a public agency, it is not overseen by any state bodies.

"There were too many cases in which the ethics were strained to the limit," says Jeanne Loring, a geneticist at Scripps Research in La Jolla, who has received more than $22 million as a principal investigator on CIRM projects.

Spokesperson Kevin McCormack says that although CIRM is not overseen by any other agency, the organization submits reports about its activities to the State Controller "several times a year", and faces a financial audit annually.

A proposition for improvement

CIRM attempted to address some of the criticism in 2013, when it asked board members from agency-funded universities to abstain from voting on grants, among other changes.

Loring thinks Proposition 14 presented an opportunity to instate stronger safeguards against bias in grant review, but fell short. "It didn't fix any of those things," she says.

And former CIRM president Hall says that Proposition 14 doesn't describe a clear scientific vision or take into account how the field has been transformed since 2004. For one thing, in 2009, president Barack Obama removed restrictions on federal funding for stem-cell research. In 2019, the US National Institutes of Health handed out more than $2 billion for stem-cell research. "You could argue that California would do better, economically and scientifically, to have a CRISPR institute," Hall says, arguing that the revolutionary precision gene-editing tool is better placed to benefit from such a huge infusion of cash.

Responding to the criticisms, Klein says he crafted the proposal with the guidance of multiple groups of experts, and kept the mandate deliberately broad to allow for flexibility as the field grows. "There's an intent here," he says, "to have the agency be responsive to the development of science."

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California's vote to revive stem-cell institute sparks debate

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Voters in California have approved US$5.5 billion in funding for stem-cell and other medical research, granting a lifeline to a controversial state agency. But scientists are split over whether the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in Oakland is a worthwhile investment for the US state - or for the field of stem-cell research.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s state Board of Education banned “critical race theory” from public school classrooms Thursday, adopting new rules it said would shield schoolchildren from curricula that could “distort historical events.”

The Black Lives Matter movement has helped bring contentious discussions about race to the forefront of American discourse, and classrooms have become a battleground. Supporters contend that federal law has preserved the unequal treatment of people on the basis of race and that the country was founded on the theft of land and labor.

Opponents of critical race theory say schoolchildren should not be taught that America is fundamentally racist. Governors and legislatures in Republican-led states around the country are considering or have signed into law bills that would limit how teachers can frame American history. The new rules say classroom instruction “must be factual and objective and may not suppress or distort significant historical events.” It goes on to mention the Holocaust, slavery and the Civil War, as well as the civil rights movement and the contributions of Blacks, Hispanics and women to the country.

During his brief appearance Thursday, DeSantis called it “outrageous” how some instructors are deviating from what he and others consider the fundamentals of history.

“Some of this stuff is, I think, really toxic,” DeSantis told the school board. “I think it’s going to cause a lot of divisions. I think it’ll cause people to think of themselves more as a member of a particular race based on skin color, rather than based on the content of their character and based on their hard work and what they’re trying to accomplish in life.”

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This article highlights the point of view of the local community of the Hawaiian population.

In 2019 before the start of the pandemic Hawaii's economy had a surplus of visits from people all over the country. since the pandemic has been going on the rate of people come from the mainland to vacation has gone up and the local residents of Hawaii are not happy about.

The article states that "over 23,000 people visit the island almost every day" which is a major problem because more than likely half of the people coming to Hawaii are not vaccinated or not participating in wear face coverings.

If you factor in tourism and Hawaii is a small chain of islands, the impact of the covid-19 virus change to live of all of the residents and their economy. "according to a study from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders account for 40% of the positive coronavirus cases on the islands, but they only make up 25% of Hawaii's population." These numbers are trouble and since the vaccine has been out the number of vaccinated populous has not increased.

The residents of Hawaii are outraged because the government is hardly doing anything to keep the number of tourists under control, while also needing to increase the number of vaccinated citizens.

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Hawaii is experiencing a surge in travel as visitors flock to the state's popular islands.

Many locals shared the message: "Don't come here in a pandemic."

Some Native Hawaiians hope tourists will permanently remove Hawaii from their bucket lists.

Throughout the summer months of 2020, Kawenaʻulaokalā Kapahua, a Native Hawaiian born in Kailua on the island of Oahu, would trek to Waikiki Beach for surfing.

It was the first time in years Kapahua had seen the popular tourist beach empty.

But a few weeks ago, when he showed up at Waikiki, it was too crowded to surf. The 23-year-old said it was "maddening" how many people were there - with most disregarding Hawaii's public safety restrictions.

"It looked like it did before the pandemic," the 23-year-old graduate student and community organizer told Insider. "But I could count the number of masks on one hand."

Kapahua's experience of tourists on the shores of Waikiki Beach represents the larger surge of tourists entering Hawaii.

From April 3 to April 8, more than 23,000 people arrived in Hawaii every day, according to state travel data. Arrivals peaked on Saturday, April 3, when nearly 29,000 people stepped foot onto one of Hawaii's eight major islands, approaching pre-pandemic tourism levels.

On Friday, the CDC announced fully vaccinated people can travel domestically. Although Hawaii hasn't adjusted its protocol for vaccinated travelers, the state is already seeing an increase in travelers.

Native Hawaiians told Insider they fear incoming travelers will cause coronavirus cases to rise and urged travelers not to visit during a pandemic.

Others emphasized deep-rooted issues in Hawaii's tourism industry, and they hope travelers will permanently remove Hawaii from their bucket list.

COVID has hit Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders hard

Camille Slagle has watched the coronavirus disproportionately affect her family, friends, and community.

Slagle, a Native Hawaiian from Kailua on Hawaii's Oahu island, has watched other Native Hawaiians fill essential jobs across the state. She says many in her community have been worried about spreading the virus at home, especially in houses filled with multiple generations.

"I'm terrified and frustrated for Native people," the 21-year-old told Insider.

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are among the hardest hit by the coronavirus, according to a study from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders account for 40% of the positive coronavirus cases on the islands, but they only make up 25% of Hawaii's population.

They're also some of the least vaccinated populations. As of March 16, 8.8% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have received a COVID vaccine compared to 25.4% of Asians and 19.2% of Hawaii's white population, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

"It's actually terrifying since not everyone is vaccinated yet," Slagle said about the surge of tourists. "People are acting like the virus just doesn't exist anymore."

But the virus does still exist, and in parts of Hawaii, it's getting worse. Daily new case reports have doubled since late February, and Slagle said she fears CDC's announcement for vaccinated travelers will make things worse.

"Tourists can go home and have happy memories of their trip, but we are left to deal with the deaths, closed businesses, and environmental impacts they have left behind," Slagle said.

Meanwhile, tourism plays an enormous role in Hawaii's economy. In 2019, Hawaii welcomed more than 10 million visitors, and tourism became the state's largest source of private capital for Hawaii's economy.

Last October, Governor David Ige launched a pre-travel testing program to encourage travelers to visit. The program allowed visitors to skip the 14-day mandatory quarantine if they brought a negative coronavirus test. Around the same time, a temporary residency program, known as " Movers and Shakas," launched, and tourism companies enticed visitors with travel incentives and resort bubbles.

But the majority of Hawaii's residents didn't want to welcome back visitors, according to a survey published by the Hawaii Tourism Authority in November.

"My family and I are very frustrated," Slagle said. "I'm happy that some local businesses are able to benefit from the money that tourists are spending, but my motto will always be to prioritize people over profit."

About 65% of surveyed residents said they agreed strongly or somewhat strongly that "people from outside Hawaii should not be visiting right now," and 62% disagreed with the statement, "I am confident that state and county governments can safely re-open my island to visitors from outside the state of Hawaii."

Tippe Morlan, a Kama'aina, or local resident from Kapolei in Oahu, said no one she knows is happy about the influx of tourists.

Morlan attributed those feelings to tourists who behave poorly, whether that's by not wearing masks, breaking mandatory quarantines, or not social distancing.

"My perception of tourism in Hawaii is much more negative after seeing the way people have treated my home, simply because it is a domestic beach destination," the travel blogger told Insider in an email.

Slagle said that marketing Hawaii as a "paradise" and an "escape from daily life" during a pandemic has opened her eyes to Hawaii's problematic tourism industry - an industry that Slagle and Kapahua said has been problematic long before the pandemic.

Hawaiians against tourism is not new

Dryden Kūʻehuikapono Chien Tzin Seto-Myers said the tourism industry has sold an image of Hawaii centered on coconut shell bras, hula skirts, and Mai Tais.

An image that commodifies Hawaiian culture and hides its colonialist past, Seto-Myers, a 21-year-old Native Hawaiian from Kailua in Oahu, told Insider.

Locals said their communities rarely benefit from the tourism sector. Native Hawaiians often fill lower-paying service jobs, and many Hawaiians have one or more jobs to survive the state's high cost of living. Meanwhile, overcrowding has harmed their historical landmarks and disrupted fragile ecosystems.

Kapahua said that for some, the ongoing pandemic has increased awareness around the issues of tourism in Hawaii.

"People have been opposed to it for a while, but now even more so given that it's literally life-threatening," he said.

Slagle said many Americans from the lower 48 states feel entitled to visit, but they rarely take the time to learn the state's history.

"It's disheartening that such a complex culture has been reduced to a grass skirt and coconut bra, and Native Hawaiians are left to try to educate people about Hawaiian history," Slagle said.

Native Hawaiians had a clear message: Don't visit during the pandemic

"It's hard for me to understand why people emphasize their right to travel over the right for people to live," Seto-Myers said.

Seto-Myers, Kapahua, and Slagle urged people - vaccinated or not - to stop traveling to the state while the pandemic is ongoing.

As the New York Times reported, Hawaii's residents' thoughts on tourism typically fall into three categories: "absolutists," who want tourism to end; the status quo group who believes "tourism should remain the lifeblood of the economy;" and "the compromisers," or people that think "tourism can and should exist in concert with other sectors like farming, retail, health care, and culture."

The locals who Insider spoke to each fell into one of these categories.

Kapahua wants people to stop traveling to his home. He said he doesn't believe there's a way to ethically visit Hawaii in today's structure. Seto-Meyers agreed but acknowledged that it's an idealist mindset.

While Morlan wishes the state didn't have to rely on tourism so heavily, she said she believes that tourism isn't inherently bad. But she said tourists need to show respect, follow rules, and understand the communities' sentiments toward tourists before booking a trip.

Slagle stressed that if you do decide to visit Hawaii post-pandemic, research and learn about Hawaii's history.

"The vaccine doesn't fix ignorance," Slagle said. "Ignorance is one of the biggest threats that the Hawaiian people face in today's society."

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Americans are flocking to Hawaii, but locals don't want tourists visiting now - and some wish they'd stop altogether

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Hawaii is experiencing a surge in travel as visitors flock to the state's popular islands. Many locals shared the message: "Don't come here in a pandemic." Some Native Hawaiians hope tourists will permanently remove Hawaii from their bucket lists.

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In North Carolina, citizens do not have the power to initiate statewide initiatives or referendums since 1917. The North Carolina State Legislature can refer statewide ballot measures, in the form of constitutional amendments and bond issues, to the ballot for statewide elections.
As of 2005, local initiative in all of the states largest cities, including Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem.
Recently on June 28, 2021,
The U.S. Supreme Court opted Monday not take up a school board's appeal over the rights of transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.

The order marked a victory for Gavin Grimm, a transgender student from Virginia who sued the Gloucester County School Board in 2015 after school officials told him he had to use a unisex bathroom or the restroom that corresponded with the gender assigned to him at birth, which was female.

It also solidified legal precedent established by the lower court protecting the rights of transgender students — including in North Carolina.

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North Carolina governor signs controversial transgender bill | CNN Politics

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North Carolina's governor on Wednesday signed a controversial bill blocking cities from allowing transgender individuals to use public bathrooms for the sex they identify as -- as well as restricting cities from passing nondiscrimination laws more broadly.

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Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 3653, a criminal justice and police reform bill, at Chicago State University on February 22, 2021

It states that the legislation will make sweeping changes to the state’s criminal justice system including ending cash bail which would allow defendants to go free at a judge’s discretion without bail while they await trial.

To sum up the bill, here are some examples of what it does :

Moves Illinois from a system of pretrial detention that prioritizes wealth, to one that prioritizes public safety.

Diverts low-level drug crimes into substance use programs and treatments.

Modernizes sentencing laws and streamlines the victims’ compensation system.

Requires more investments in officer training, mental health, and officer wellness.

Expands training opportunities for officers, requires health and wellness services for officers, and protects officers from unjust lawsuits based on their reasonable actions.

Sets statewide standards on use of force, crowd control responses, de-escalation, and arrest techniques.

Requires the use of body-worn cameras by police departments statewide.

Professionalizes policing through the creation of a more robust certification system and lays out clear standards and processes for decertification.

Expands accountability across police departments by requiring the permanent retention of police misconduct records and removes the sworn affidavit requirement when filing police misconduct complaints.

Requires police departments to develop plans to protect vulnerable people present during search warrant raids.

Eliminates license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees due to red light camera and traffic offenses.

Ends prison gerrymandering.

Expands services for crime victims.

HB 3653 was the result of years of work by community advocates, lawmakers, and members of law enforcement.

The legislation was an initiative of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and the culmination of nine public hearings, 30 hours of testimony, and countless meetings with law enforcement, community members, and advocates.

Senator Fowler stated, “This bill is a dangerous proposal that makes it easier for offenders to commit violent crimes, eliminates cash bail and endangers the safety of our citizens."

The reform bill also requires all police officers to use body cameras, to go through additional training, prohibit choke holds, require the maintenance of police misconduct records and require the use of special prosecutors in officer-involved deaths.

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Bills for the proposed city of Greenhaven have been introduced in the state legislature in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Each year, the Greenhaven team has met all the requirements, unfortunately the DeKalb delegation has not yet voted to approve a referendum so that residents of unincorporated south DeKalb can vote on forming a city. Greenhaven remains the only cityhood movement in DeKalb County where all the requirements have been met but residents (who ultimately decide) have not been offered the opportunity to exercise self-determination – the right to vote.

https://youtu.be/jhkAmV6O37o

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New York City Law Controversy -Nadia Flood

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New York City Law Controversy -Nadia Flood

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Excluded Workers Fund

Through the Excluded Workers Fund, New York agreed to give payments to thousands of undocumented immigrants who were excluded from unemployment benefits and stimulus payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $2.1 billion fund, approved by lawmakers and Cuomo as part of the state budget in April, provides payments of $15,600 or $3,200 (depending on the criteria they meet) to those who lost work during the pandemic but were ineligible for the stimulus and unemployment.

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New York is set to give payments to thousands of workers living in the country without legal permission excluded from federal benefits and unemployment payments during the pandemic due to their immigration status.

The excluded worker fund, included in a $212 billion budget deal passed by the state Legislature last week, can also provide payments for other low-income workers who weren't eligible for the relief measures.

The fund can provide payments of $15,600 or $3,200 to eligible recipients, depending on the criteria they meet. That is much higher than the $500 one-time cash benefit that was set aside in a similar program in California.

In New York, the program is estimated to help nearly 300,000 people living in the county illegally, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute, a labor-backed think tank.

Despite pushback from some lawmakers over eligibility, the creation of the $2.1 billion fund was an achievement for progressive advocates who held hunger strikes and protests across the state to push for the creation of the fund.

"With the passage of this fund, we're fighting for the dignity of all people," said Assembly Member Carmen De La Rosa, a Democrat. "We're fighting xenophobia in New York State. We're fighting the notion that the haves are better than the have-nots."
Here's more about the program, and who qualifies for it:
How to apply

A person eligible for the excluded worker benefit will have to apply with the state Department of Labor, though that application process has not yet launched.

The application will not list the person's citizenship, immigration status, or require the applicant to prove that they are lawfully present in the country.

But the application will ask for proof of identity, current state residency, and work-related eligibility. All applicants must show proof of residency before March 27, 2020.
'Helping the country prosper':Undocumented immigrants pay billions in US taxes each year - and have been for decades
To establish identity, an applicant must produce one or more documents for at least four points of proof of identity. For instance, a non-expired state driver's license by the Department of Motor Vehicles is worth four points. A marriage certificate is worth one point.

An applicant may submit the same documents to establish identity and residency. Also, any individual who's claims are rejected in whole or in part by the commissioner of labor can request a review.

How much money will excluded workers get?

Under the budget, funding under the excluded workers fund is available to those who lost income or became unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and were ineligible for traditional unemployment benefits or federal aid under the various stimulus packages.

It's also available to those who were ineligible for unemployment or federal stimulus and became the major breadwinner in their household because of a death during the pandemic.

The top tier of those receiving funds will receive $15,600, the equivalent of $300 a week for a year, which is on par with unemployment insurance, according to David Dyssegaard Kallick of the Fiscal Policy Institute. A non-undocumented worker who received unemployment insurance throughout the pandemic year, however, would have received much more money, he said.

To get that benefit amount, the worker would have to file a tax return either in 2018, 2019, or 2020 using a valid United States individual taxpayer identification. The person may qualify by submitting other information such as a letter from an employer documenting the dates of work and why the person is no longer working for that employer.

Others who didn't file a tax return but who can provide the other documentation could get $3,200. That is equal to the amount that some received in the three rounds of stimulus payments: $1,200, $600, and $1,400.

An automatic deduction of $780 would be made for the higher tier and $160 for the lower amount. That money will be collected by the state Department of Taxation and Finance.

Those who made $26,800 in the 12 months preceding the program taking effect will not be eligible for payments from the excluded workers fund, according to the state budget.

When does the program start?

It will be up to the state Department of Labor to come up with an application process, which should happen in the coming weeks.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his administration will ask the state's attorney general and the state comptroller to review the fund to ensure protections from fraud. Cuomo added that the program will not be implemented until the attorney general signs off on the program.

"Just because you are undocumented, doesn't mean we don't care, and we don't have compassion and we don't want to help," Cuomo said, adding: "It is difficult to do it in a way that can be administered without fraud."
Follow Tiffany Cusaac-Smith Twitter: @T_Cusaac.
In a statement last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James said her role is to make sure the program is constitutional.

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New York to make $2.1B available for excluded workers, including undocumented immigrants. Here's how it works.

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New York is set to give payments to thousands of workers living in the country without legal permission excluded from federal benefits and unemployment payments during the pandemic due to their immigration status. The excluded worker fund, included in a $212 billion budget deal passed by the state Legislature last week, can also provide payments for other low-income workers who weren't eligible for the relief measures.

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Analyze a successful state initiative in your state that generated controversy. Explain the proposition, the controversy associated with the proposition, and reasons for its passage.