By Doug Cunningham
[Ron Pollack]: “For those of us who have worked so hard for many years for healthcare reform, this is truly a glorious moment.”
Families USA director Ron Pollack, reacting the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding tax credits for premiums under the Affordable Care Act. Pollack says the ruling means the reform known as ‘Obamacare’ is here to stay.
[Ron Pollack]: “It provides significant relief for the many millions of people who have benefitted from the Affordable Care Act and who now have the peace of mind that they will continue to have that coverage.”
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The U.S. Supreme Court also ruled 5-4 Friday that marriage equality for gays is a constitutional right. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion. He said gays denied the legal right to marry are only asking “for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”
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New Jersey’s Democratic controlled state legislature is determined to fully fund the state’s public pension system as they work on the state budget. They are looking for a way to pump $3.1 billion into the pensions system. For many years the state underfunded the pensions system, leading to the current funding shortfall. Gov. Chris Christie reneged on a $1.57 billion payment to the pensions system and was sued over it. The state Supreme Court ruled 5-2 earlier this month upheld Christie’s withholding of the payment.
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Fight For $15 workers from Chicago to Oakland to Pittsburgh rallied Monday to support New York workers on the verge of winning a minimum wage increase. New York’s wage board is holding hearings so the board can make recommendations on raising the minimum wage for 180,000 fast food workers in New York state. Connie Bennett is a 57 year-old McDonald’s worker from Chicago.
[Connie Bennett]: “We need this $15 and a union to help us live at just a little bit above poverty level. Right now we’re not even making poverty level. The things that we are supporting on Monday is not just our fight for $15 and a union, but also our child care workers, our home care workers. These are all people that are livin’ below poverty also.”