State Policy Reports

May 2020, Volume 38, Issue 9

A Reality Check on Federal Fiscal Assistance

It has been assumed that federal fiscal assistance will be provided for state revenue losses from the COVID-19 recession, but pushback has emerged.

Employment: The Canary in the Coal Mine

In the Great Recession, a portion of federal fiscal relief was linked to a state’s unemployment rate, for good reason.

The Past as Precedent

In the “dot com” recession and the Great Recession, the federal government provided fiscal assistance to states. The scale was different, but there were common elements.

April 2020, Volume 38, Issue 8

The 2020 Camelot Index

The Camelot Index was developed by Reports founding editor Hal Hovey, a longtime observer and analyst of state budgets and economies. It ranks states on six “quality of life” measures: economy, health, crime, education, society, and state government. This year, the top-ranking state is Iowa.

April 2020, Volume 38, Issue 7

Stress-Testing in a Pandemic: The Moment of Truth

To assess states’ fiscal situations as a result of the current coronavirus pandemic and ensuing recession, Moody’s Analytics has employed its stress-testing methodology. Also, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has weighed in on the need for additional federal fiscal relief.

March 2020, Volume 38, Issue 6

Index of State Economic Momentum

The Index of State Economic Momentum ranks states based on their most recent performance in three key measures of economic vitality: personal income growth, employment growth, and population growth. Reports updates the index each quarter. In the first quarter of 2020, Utah remained in the top spot, while Virginia and California most closely approximated the national average economic performance.

March 2020, Volume 38, Issue 5

Opioid Funding by State

In recent years, Congress has increased funding for states to deal with the opioid crisis.

A Last Hurrah

The Urban Institute released a summary of state tax collections in January 2020.

A First Step

Congress increased state Medicaid matching rates in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

February 2020, Volume 38, Issue 4

Budget Process Challenges

The Volcker Alliance has updated its analysis of good state budgeting practices. The results vary by state and measure, but the report notes that retiree benefits and transparency remain challenging for some states. It also makes an argument for accrual accounting.