Help Is Here Roundup: American Rescue Plan Funds Provide Relief to State Budgets, Earn Praise from Local Officials

Federal, State, and Local Officials across the country continue to praise the provisions in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that are providing relief for their communities. This week, the IRS notified 36 million families that may qualify for the monthly Child Tax Credit payments made possible by the ARP that will be going out this month.

Thanks to the nearly 350 billion in State and Local Aid provided by the ARP, multiple state budgets were released with spending plans for the budget year recovered by 10% or more in states including Florida, Maryland, Colorado, Utah and Washington. This is in stark comparison to the situation last year, where, due to the pandemic, states laid off state workers, threatened big cuts to schools and warned about canceling or scaling back building projects, among other steps.

States like California and Florida, are sending out more stimulus checks on top of the 2.3 million checks that have been sent out by the IRS from the ARP. Meanwhile federal agencies like the USDA are rolling out programs such as relief to socially disadvantaged farmers this month as well as to the countries’ food bank networks.

See more examples below of how the American Rescue Plan continues to provide critical relief to Americans across the country who have struggled during the pandemic:

HELP IS HERE STATE AND LOCAL STORIES:

AK: Grant program helps Alaska summer camps restart after lost year. “his second round comes from the same partnership, but the Municipality of Anchorage is bringing in some of its funds from the American Rescue Plan.” [KTOO, 06/07/2021]

AZ: $23 Million in rental assistance available in Tucson and Pima County. [KGUN9, 06/08/2021]

CA: Hazard pay approved for San Diego County essential workers. [ABC 10, 06/09/2021]

CA: California city becomes first in nation to use American Rescue Plan funds for grocery worker COVID pay. [SuperMarket News, 06/08/2021]

CA: County supervisors approve plan to spend $650 million in federal coronavirus aid. [Fox 5, 06/08/2021]

CA: RUIZ, LOCAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ANNOUNCE DELIVERY OF OVER $217 MILLION THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. [Ruiz.House, 06/07/2021]

CO: Colorado girl shares mental health journey in the wake of dramatic increase in pediatric behavioral health patients. ”The Behavioral Health Recovery Act, a dedicated 100 million dollars from the American Rescue Plan being spent on urgent mental health needs, has passed out of the Colorado State Legislature.” [KOAA, 06/08/2021]

GA: Metro Atlanta leaders to use federal money to address crime. [The Center Square, 06/08/2021]

IA: Iowa will use pandemic funds for marketing campaign in hopes of luring workers. [The Gazette, 06/09/2021]

KS: Kansas picks 614 small communities for portion of federal relief package. [Kansas Reflector, 06/09/2021]

KY: Mayor Fischer outlines proposal for first round of American Rescue Plan money. [WHAS11, 06/10/2021]

LA: City-parish looking to spend millions in COVID relief on drainage work. [WBRZ, 06/09/2021]

ME: Mills submits plan to Legislature for spending $1 billion in federal relief. [Press Herald, 06/04/2021]

MI: Gov. Whitmer’s Announces Plan to Modernize State Parks To Enhance Tourism. [9and10News, 06/10/2021]

MI: Flint schools to receive nearly $100M in COVID-19 relief funds, Kildee says. [MLive, 06/10/2021]

MN: Minneapolis mayor proposes guaranteed basic income pilot using federal relief funds. [Bring Me TheNews, 06/06/2021]

NC: $10M for North Wilkesboro Speedway? Supporters of track say, ‘yes, please.’ [Winston Salem Journal, 06/10/2021]

NC: Asheville couple saving more than $800 per month through ACA health insurance. [ABC 13, 06/03/2021]

NC: Waynesville leaders approve funding for emergency overnight shelter. [ABC 13, 06/09/2021]

NC: Greensboro helps 1,000 households with rent assistance, receives additional funding. [

WXII, 06/11/2021]

NE: Giant pot of federal ‘rescue’ money for Nebraska schools: $194M to OPS, $61.4M to LPS. [Omaha World Herald, 06/06/2021]

NH: Sens. Maggie Hassan & Jeanne Shaheen: Lower Health Care Costs Through The American Rescue Plan. [Caledonian Record, 06/09/2021]

NM: Las Cruces homeless student education program to receive additional federal funding. [Las Cruces Sun News, 06/05/2021]

OK: Mayor, City Council propose 4% retention bonuses for city employees. [Tulsa World, 06/10/2021]

TN: Chattanooga, Hamilton Co. essential workers stand to gain from millions in ARP funding. [NewsChannel9, 06/09/2021]

TN: Local impact of $53 million in state mental health funding. [WDEF, 06/07/2021]

TX: Fort Bend County program aims to hire up to 250 young people this summer. [Houston chronicle, 06/04/2021]

WI: Reducing Poverty: Sen. Tammy Baldwin Talks American Rescue Plan Benefits. [Milwaukee Courier, 06/04/2021]

WV: Lawmakers hear basics from Governor’s Office on $1.35B American Rescue Plan funding. [Charleston Gazette Mail, 06/07/2021]

HELP IS HERE STATE AND LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS:

Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors San Diego County, CA:

https://www.facebook.com/SupNoraVargas/posts/186492280060360

CA Assembly:

https://www.facebook.com/jimwoodassembly/posts/3371215146314675

Detroit, MI:

https://www.facebook.com/Raquel4CityCouncil/photos/a.400706376711491/3985890358193057

FL Senate:

https://www.facebook.com/loranneausley/posts/10159718887953804

Board of Commissioners, Johnson County KS:

https://twitter.com/Becky4JoCo/status/1402679774645043205

PA House:

https://twitter.com/RyanBizzarro/status/1402057962139553794

PA Senate:

https://www.facebook.com/SenSharifStreet/posts/3051198648445794

City Council, Austin TX:

https://twitter.com/GregCasar/status/1403164735676223489

Federal Officials:

US Senate, CT:

https://www.facebook.com/senchrismurphy/posts/5697387110332212

US Senate, MD:

https://www.facebook.com/chrisvanhollen/posts/10158582339188878

GA-04:

https://www.facebook.com/RepHankJohnson/posts/10158173167147006

MA-03:

https://www.facebook.com/RepLoriTrahan/posts/857692841621320

MI-05:

https://www.facebook.com/RepDanKildee/posts/5741024185940191

https://www.facebook.com/RepDanKildee/posts/5737084413000835

https://www.facebook.com/RepDanKildee/posts/5727708727271737

NC-02:

https://www.facebook.com/RepDeborahRoss/posts/170776451661314

NY-08:

https://www.facebook.com/RepJeffries/posts/1846418515536746

NY-19:

https://www.facebook.com/RepAntonioDelgado/posts/840959546522570

PA-04:

https://www.facebook.com/RepMadeleineDean/posts/3908665622514677

US Senate, RI:

https://www.facebook.com/SenatorWhitehouse/posts/4338248299519265

TX-28:

https://www.facebook.com/repcuellar/posts/10157962856511551

TX-32:

https://twitter.com/RepColinAllred/status/1401901768842178573

VA-07:

https://www.facebook.com/RepSpanberger/posts/957203805029694

VA-11:

https://twitter.com/GerryConnolly/status/1403007174973005828

WA-02:

https://www.facebook.com/RepRickLarsen/posts/4012809552088220