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State and Local Budgets and Spending

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Who Shoulders the Burden of Federal Income Taxes? high-income earners, high-income taxpayers, progressive tax system, federal income tax, income inequality, wealth tax

Under the HEROES Act, State Budgets Could Soar as the Economy Suffers

The HEROES Act, proposed by House Democrats as a next round of fiscal relief during the coronavirus outbreak, contains about $1.08 trillion in aid to states and localities. That would bring the pandemic total to $1.63 trillion—an amount so large that it might overwhelm their ability to spend it and could reward fiscal irresponsibility.

8 min read
State and local relief package, state and local government relief package amid coronavirus, business and government aid, coronavirus relief package, state revenue deficit, state budget deficit

Designing a State and Local Government Relief Package

The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic downturn will wreak havoc on state and local tax revenues, with projections of a 15-20 percent decline in state revenues. Our new report provides a framework for how to design an effective state and local relief package.

35 min read

State Rainy Day Funds and the COVID-19 Crisis

State revenue stabilization funds, often called rainy day funds, are better funded now than they were at the start of the Great Recession and can be a valuable tool as states face a sharp pandemic-linked economic contraction.

18 min read
How healthy is your state's rainy day fund? State rainy day funds and state rainy day balances as a percentage of state general fund expenditures

How Healthy is Your State’s Rainy Day Fund?

Rainy day funds have increasingly emerged as a standard component of states’ budgeting toolkits. Economic cycles can have significant impacts on state revenue, but states can prepare for the inevitable downturns during good times by putting away money in a revenue stabilization fund.

2 min read
Hartford skyline in Connecticut where we assess the tax competitiveness

Enhancing Tax Competitiveness in Connecticut

Connecticut has failed to live up to the expectations of 1991. Changes intended to make tax collections more stable, combined with constraints intended to promote fiscal prudence, have strayed far wide of the mark. To turn things around, Connecticut needs a more competitive tax code.

32 min read