State Budgets Struggle Even As Recovery Continues
Rising health care costs are one factor cited in the budget woes of some states -- along with slow recoveries and growing pension obligations. The Washington Post parses some of the differences by looking at the budget fortunes -- and Medicaid spending -- of neighboring, GOP-led states, Arizona and Nevada. And Connecticut's hospitals take a hit in that state's budget.
The New York Times:
States Confront Wide Budget Gaps Even After Years of Recovery
Many of the legislatures that are struggling with budgets can point to external forces, including slow economic recoveries and rising health care costs, for their woes. “This is very different from past recovery periods, where you had fairly robust revenue growth at the state level,” said Scott D. Pattison, executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers. “We’re not seeing enough revenue growth to solve some of the problems that we’re seeing.” (Bosman, 6/7)
The Washington Post:
How Did Arizona And Nevada, Neighbors Under GOP Control, End Up On Such Wildly Different Paths This Year?
On Monday, Nevada passed its largest tax increase ever — $1.1 billion — in order to raise money for the state’s struggling schools. Local papers heaped praise on Gov. Brian Sandoval (R ) for pulling off this unlikely feat, which took months of coaxing his recalcitrant Republican colleagues. Arizona made history of a different kind last month. Propelled by his campaign-trail pledge to reduce taxes every year he is in office, Gov. Doug Ducey (R ) led his legislature into passing one of the state’s stingiest budgets in the past 30 years. The hundreds of millions in cuts come at the expense of Arizona’s colleges, Medicaid and the poor. (Guo, 6/5)
The Connecticut Mirror:
5 Things You May Have Missed In The New State Budget
Connecticut’s hospitals, which already have seen a 2011 provider tax arrangement turn sour, have been bracing for another tax increase since February. But even that deal turned worse just days before the budget was adopted. (Phaneuf and Levin Becker, 6/8)
