July 9, 2019

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California First State To Offer Health Benefits To Adult Undocumented Immigrants

Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, talks with members of a Diabetes Talking Circle during his visit to the Sacramento Native American Health Center in Sacramento Tuesday.

Rich Pedroncelli/AP


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Rich Pedroncelli/AP

California has become the first state in the country to offer government-subsidized health benefits to young adults living in the U.S. illegally.

The measure signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday extends coverage to low-income, undocumented adults age 25 and younger for the state’s Medicaid program.

Since 2016, California has allowed children under 18 to receive taxpayer-backed healthcare despite immigration status. And, state officials expect that the plan will cover roughly 90,000 people.

“The law will not give health insurance benefits to everyone 25 and younger, but only those whose income is low enough to qualify,” reported the Associated Press.

The idea of giving health benefits to undocumented immigrants is supported by most of the Democratic candidates running for president, and California’s move comes as the Trump administration continues to ramp up its hardline crackdown on unauthorized immigrants. On Tuesday, Newsom said the state law draws a sharp contrast with Trump’s immigration policies.

“If you believe in universal health care, you believe in universal health care,” Newsom said. “We are the most un-Trump state in America when it comes to health policy.”

In California, extending health benefits to undocumented immigrants is widely popular. A March survey conducted by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that almost two-thirds of state residents support providing coverage to young adults who are not legally authorized to live in the country.

California, the institute notes, has more immigrants than any other state. And an estimated 14% of them are living in the state without legal status.

A national poll suggests that many Americans across the country are far less accepting of the notion of giving health coverage to those who came into the U.S. illegally. A CNN poll conducted after the Democratic debates last month found that 59% of those surveyed do not think government-backed health coverage should be provided to undocumented immigrants.

In most states, people living in the country illegally are not eligible for federal health insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare, except is some cases, like medical emergencies and pregnancies, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Republican lawmakers in California criticized the law, arguing that the state should be spending health care dollars on those living in the state legally.

“We are going to be a magnet that is going to further attract people to a state of California that’s willing to write a blank check to anyone that wants to come here,” said Republican Senator Jeff Stone at a May legislative hearing. “We are doing a disservice to citizens who legally call California their home.”

The plan does not cover all unauthorized immigrants under 25, only those whose incomes are low income to qualify. State officials estimate in the first year the program will cover around 138,000 residents and cost California taxpayers $98 million.

Trump has publicly attacked Newsom’s plans.

“It’s crazy what they’re doing. It’s crazy,” Trump told reporters last week. “And it’s mean, and it’s very unfair to our citizens. And we’re going to stop it, but we may need an election to stop it.”

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Amazon Workers Threaten To Strike On First Day Of Retailer’s Summer Sale Event

Amazon workers in Minnesota are planning a six-hour strike on Monday to coincide with the first day of retailer’s summer sale event, Amazon Prime Day.



AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Amazon warehouse workers in Minnesota are planning to walk off the job Monday during Amazon’s peak sales event. As NPR’s Alina Selyukh reports, the employees want better working conditions.

ALINA SELYUKH, BYLINE: William Stolz is a picker at a warehouse in Shakopee, outside Minneapolis. All day, he puts together Amazon orders by picking items off giant shelves brought to him by robots.

WILLIAM STOLZ: I’m constantly running back and forth, getting down on my knees, getting up on my ladder over and over again.

SELYUKH: Amazon wants its pickers and packers to work at a particular pace – for example, picking one item every eight seconds or so. Stolz is one of the Shakopee workers who plan to strike to push Amazon to ease these productivity quotas.

STOLZ: Treat us like human beings, not like machines.

SELYUKH: The workers also want Amazon to stop relying on temp workers. They plan to walk out for six hours during Amazon’s biggest sales event, Prime Day. Stolz expects about a hundred workers to join the walkout. The facility employs about 1,500. Still, this will be one of the most high-profile labor actions at an Amazon warehouse in the U.S.

Amazon says the allegations are baseless and that it already converts a lot of temps to full-time employees. The company touts its benefits and pay of more than $16 an hour. Stolz says his friends have left the warehouse for lower-paying jobs to escape the physical demands.

For Amazon, the fallout won’t be financial, says Marc Wulfraat of the logistics firm MWPVL International.

MARC WULFRAAT: I think the negative impact is more the publicity, the fear that it will snowball, cause other facilities to do the same thing.

SELYUKH: So far, the only other Amazon workers to participate in Monday’s protest are a few flying in from the corporate headquarters in Seattle. Two Minnesota lawmakers say they are watching the situation. Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat whose district borders Shakopee, says she stands with Amazon workers fighting for workplace fairness.

Alina Selyukh, NPR News.

CORNISH: And a note – Amazon is an NPR sponsor.

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