Turning A Cycle of Debt and Dependency into Financial Security: Rerouting Payday Loan Consumers in Mississippi

In this paper, Southern Bancorp Community Partners assesses the current payday lending environment in Mississippi; highlights the need for successful payday loan alternative products and strong asset building policies by showcasing lessons learned in Arkansas; provides recommendations for increased fiancial security for Mississippians, including payday lending reform; and, features a new alternative payday loan approach in Mississippi, the New Roots Credit Partnership, which is facilitated by the Mississippi Center for Justice through traditional financial institutions and employers throughout the state

Making the Case for Eliminating Asset Limits: Why Asset Limits Undermine Financial Security for Arkansans

In this brief, Southern Bancorp Community Partners' policy team presents the case for why Arkansas should enact legislation or create an administrative rule to eliminate asset limits on SNAP and TANF. This paper will provide a concise background on asset limits over the past two decades, highlight key research findings from the asset-building field, and offer recommendations on how and why Arkansas should abolish asset limits on SNAP and TANF

Everybody Wins: Creating a Successful Prize-Linked Savings Program in Arkansas

The objective of this paper is to lay the foundation for Arkansas to enact legislation enanbling a prize-linked savings (PLS) program to exist in the state. In this report, Southern Bancorp Community Partners' policy team makes the case for why Arkansas should authorize the use of PLS programs thorugh the distributions channels of fnancial institutions or the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. This brief will illustrate the purpose and effectiveness of PLS accounts, explain why a PLS program in Arkansas would be advantageous for the state and its people, and offer three PLS program alternatives for state policy consideration

The State of Asset Building in Arkansas

This paper examines the five areas of the 2012 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard released by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and underlines asset-building policy triumphs, deficiencies, and recommendations for Arkansas

Evaluating College Savings Plans: A Case Study on Arkansas and Mississippi

In an effort to improve family economic security in rural communities, Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP) sought a sustainable funding source in 2013 for Arkansas's Aspiring Scholars Matching Grant (ASMG) Program, a savings incentive for low-to-moderate income families that matches funds saved for a child's college education in the 529 GIFT Plan, and investigated the possible creation of a matched 529 savings program in Mississippi. SBCP authored this paper to illustrate and examine the current options of college savings accounts offered in both states and analyze the causes behind low participation in each state's 529 plans

Providing Access to Child Passenger Restraint Information: Is there a Role for Elementary Schools and Daycare Facilities?

The correct and appropriate use of a child passenger restraint system can increase the likelihood of a child surviving a motor vehicle crash and avoiding serious injury. Despite the benefits of the use of child passenger restraints, many parents do not use them correctly or at all, and one barrier that has prevented some parents from the correct use of passenger restraints for their children is not receiving updated information about correct use as their child grows up (Macy, Cunningham, Resnicow & Freed, 2014). This project was conducted at an elementary school and multiple daycare centers associated with an early childhood development program in eastern North Carolina. The purpose was to evaluate the need for an ongoing process at the elementary school and daycare facilities that could increase awareness and educate parents and guardians about appropriate use of passenger restraints as children grow. Collaboration with key informants included the daycare providers, a child care health consultant, the school nurse, administrators, teachers and staff at the school. The two objectives of this project were (1) to complete an evaluation of current practices for providing educational information to parents and guardians in the school and daycare facilities, and (2) to make recommendations, based on best practices, regarding the feasibility of establishing a process that would provide information on child passenger restraints through these facilities. It was found that little was being done to share child passenger safety information with parents, although facility and school staff stated that they would be willing to provide such information. Of 50 parents contacted by facility care providers, 52% had not received child passenger safety information in the last year, and 76% indicated they would like to receive more information. Based on the findings of the evaluation, recommendations were shared with daycare providers and elementary school teachers to establish a process to provide child passenger restraint information to parents.B.S

Persons of Interest

A world in upheaval; two lives lived under stress … This story is set in the social and political landscape of pre– and post–World War II. It tells two vastly different tales of Cecily and John's lives in Australia and overseas, as nations clashed, and governments and international organisations tried to remake the world. Cecily Nixon knew that marrying John Burton would be bad for her. But she loved him and, impressed with this handsome, sullen young man and his belief that he could change the world for the better, saw her role in life as to serve the world through John. Cecily’s story is a deeply personal and psychological one of love, duty and betrayal that explores the complexities of relationships. In a world that overwhelmed her, Cecily searched for 'wholeness’ and delved deep into her psyche to find herself and emerge from John’s shadow. John has been known as an influential and controversial young head of Australia’s Department of External Affairs – and as a would-be politician. It is less known that he was also an innovative farmer, bookseller, entrepreneur, arts patron and writer. He received international acclaim for his later work in conflict analysis and resolution. These combined stories of courage and achievement unfold amid political intrigue and psychological trauma. ASIO surveillance, love triangles, loyalty, infidelity and tragedy all play their part in the Burtons’ lives

Pectin-rich biomass as feedstock for fuel ethanol production

The USA has proposed that 30 % of liquid transportation fuel be produced from renewable resources by 2030 (Perlack and Stokes 2011). It will be impossible to reach this goal using corn kernel-based ethanol alone. Pectin-rich biomass, an under-utilized waste product of the sugar and juice industry, can augment US ethanol supplies by capitalizing on this already established feedstock. Currently, pectin-rich biomass is sold (at low value) as animal feed. This review focuses on the three most studied types of pectin-rich biomass: sugar beet pulp, citrus waste and apple pomace. Fermentations of these materials have been conducted with a variety of ethanologens, including yeasts and bacteria. Escherichia coli can ferment a wide range of sugars including galacturonic acid, the primary component of pectin. However, the mixed acid metabolism of E. coli can produce unwanted side products. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot naturally ferment galacturonic acid nor pentose sugars but has a homoethanol pathway. Erwinia chrysanthemi is capable of degrading many of the cell wall components of pectin-rich materials, including pectin. Klebsiella oxytoca can metabolize a diverse array of sugars including cellobiose, one degradation product of cellulose. However, both E. chrysanthemi and K. oxytoca produce side products during fermentation, similar to E. coli. Using pectin-rich residues from industrial processes is beneficial because the material is already collected and partially pretreated to facilitate enzymatic deconstruction of the plant cell walls. Using biomass already produced for other purposes is an attractive practice because fewer greenhouse gases (GHG) will be anticipated from land-use changes

Knowledge brokerage and research utilisation: a discussion document prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

In mid 2009 the Australian Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) funded the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI) to undertake a project on Knowledge Brokerage (KB). The aim of the project was to develop a model through which APHCRI, DoHA and other key stakeholders could work together over the next iteration of APHCRI’s contract for translating research evidence into Australian primary health care systems and services. The KB model would support the Commonwealth’s health reform agenda through facilitating the dissemination of research findings to policy makers and enabling policy makers to pose research questions addressing their need for evidence to support policy development. The KB project undertaken by APHCRI has three components;  A comprehensive literature review  A workshop of key stakeholders to identify different models of KB, work towards identifying the key components of successful models and to devise a framework to support effective knowledge translation  A review of the processes used by APHCRI to fund research and the effectiveness of the synthesis and transfer of knowledge generated by APHCRI-funded research to date. This document reports on the outcomes of these three components and offers recommendations for future action.The research reported in this paper is a project of the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute, which is supported by a grant from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing under the Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development Strategy

Public Sector Governance in Australia

Australia lacks a scholarly book that covers recent developments in public sector governance in Australia and blends cross-disciplinary perspectives from law, management, public administration and public policy. The primary reason for writing this book is to fill the gap in the treatment of this subject, and to provide insights from empirical evidence and current practice. The book provides the first comprehensive theoretical and empirical work on governance in the Commonwealth public sector. It addresses the issues that emerged under the Howard government as well as their handling under the Rudd and Gillard governments. The book aims to enhance understanding of and communication about public governance across government, industry and the community. The authors bring to this book expertise gained from political science, public administration and policy, public and private sector law