State Policy Reports

For those interested in subscribing to State Policy Reports, a recent issue is available for review:

November 2021, Volume 39, Issue 22

Mapping and Bridging the Digital Divide Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress was working to bridge the digital divide, but its efforts have accelerated.

Wrenches in the Census A report from the Urban Institute attempts to quantify the accuracy and fairness of the 2020 decennial census.

Annual indices are also available:

May 2022, Volume 40, Issue 9

Cannabis Taxes Ascendant

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy has chronicled the rise in cannabis excise tax collections in 11 states.

Overdose Deaths Continue to Climb

Deaths from drug overdoses set a record in 2021, topping more than 100,000.

Assessing States’ Use of Fiscal Recovery Funds

A new report provides an overview of early state deployment of more than $195 billion.

April 2022, Volume 40, Issue 8

COVID-19 and the State-Federal Balance of Payments

A recurring area of interest among observers of state-federal fiscal relations is whether a given state is a net donor or net recipient in its terms of trade with the federal government. A new report from New York’s Office of the State Comptroller answers that question based on fiscal year 2020 tax and spending data.

April 2022, Volume 40, Issue 7

To Tax or Not Tax Groceries

A new analysis by the Tax Foundation concludes that exempting groceries from state sales taxes is not good tax policy. It recommends another strategy.

Earmarks that Bite

Fiscal year 2022 federal appropriations saw the return of earmarks, which have been absent since 2011. Two formula grant programs feel a bite from their return.

March 2022, Volume 40, 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 update of 2022, Nevada maintained the top ranking, while South Carolina most closely approximated the national average economic performance.

March 2022, Volume 40, Issue 5

The Return of Federal Earmarks

After a 10-year hiatus, earmarks were resurrected in the recently enacted budget for fiscal year 2022.

Wealth and Asset Ownership by State

The U.S. Census Bureau has released 2019 data on the value of asset ownership by state.

February 2022, Volume 40, Issue 4

Inflation and State Minimum Wages

Tackling income equality has been in the forefront of efforts to increase the minimum wage in recent years but concerns about inflation may move to the front burner this year.

Suspending the Gas Tax: When Politics and Policy Collide

The idea of suspending the federal gas tax has some support on Capitol Hill but has been roundly criticized by many policy analysts on both the left and right.

February 2022, Volume 40, Issue 3

Takeaways from the New Federal Infrastructure Law

January 2022, Volume 40, Issue 2

K-12 Funding: Effort, Adequacy, Progressivity

January 2022, Volume 40, Issue 1

Keeping it Real

December 2021, Volume 39, Issue 23-24

Index of State Economic Momentum

November 2021, Volume 39, Issue 22

Mapping and Bridging the Digital Divide

November 2021, Volume 39, Issue 21

Defense Spending by State in 2020