16 Aug Mississippi Center for Justice Applauds Heirs Property Funding and Health Care Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2022
Contact: Courtney Holsworth, comms-mcj@rabengroup.com, (989) 572-8162
Mississippi Center for Justice Applauds Heirs Property Funding and Health Care Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act
Jackson, MS – President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law today. The historic bill would slash healthcare costs for everyday Americans. The bill also includes $250 million in funding to improve land access for underserved farmers and address heirs’ property issues specifically. Heirs’ property refers to land that has been passed from one generation to the next without a will or other legal document proving ownership. Heirs’ property is the leading cause of Black land loss in the country and a major problem in Mississippi.
The Mississippi Center for Justice operates an heirs’ property project, which helps property owners including Black farmers and families keep, protect and utilize their land. Vangela M. Wade, president and CEO of MCJ, issued the following statement:
“The Inflation Reduction Act will bolster programs that benefit historically underserved landowners, especially here in Mississippi. Many Black Mississippians own farmland that has been in their families for generations, but don’t have supporting legal documentation or a clear path to ownership. That makes it easy for families to lose land to developers and other interests. The funding in the bill will hopefully increase the number of families that MCJ is able to help keep their land and build financial stability. We applaud Congress for including these critical investments for farmers and landowners.
“The IRA also lowers prescription drug costs and extends Affordable Care Act subsidies, reducing healthcare costs for thousands of Mississippians. That’s much-needed here in the Magnolia State, which consistently ranks as the least healthy state in the entire nation.
“But Mississippians need and deserve our state leadership to implement more measures supportive of decent and healthy living. We still need to close the Medicaid coverage gap and expand Medicaid – both of which would immediately unlock crucial health benefits for our vulnerable residents. Let’s get it done.”
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The Mississippi Center for Justice is dedicated to dismantling the state’s culture of inequity and injustice. Support and staffed by attorneys and other professionals, the Center pursues strategies to combat discrimination and poverty statewide.