The Williams Report
Budget
National: S&P finds tariffs could hurt state, city budgets
Alabama: The Alabama Senate delivers a general fund budget to the governor’s office.
Alaska: To avert shutdown of ferries, Governor Walker signs fast-track budget; full budget still to come.
Alaska: The Alaska House votes to double Permanent Fund Dividend payments to residents, while the majority wishes to use the dividends to fund the state budget.
California: Gov. Jerry Brown approves a $183 billion dollar state budget, including a $8.5 billion dollar payment into the state’s rainy day fund.
California: Cost for California bullet train system rises to $77.3 billion
Colorado: In the Colorado House, higher than expected revenue projection triggers a slew of new spending .
Connecticut: State legislators struggle to close the fourth quarter deficit, raising concerns about the budgeting process.
Connecticut: Governor praises plans to hike taxes, despite his previous rhetoric against tax increases and research showing tax burdens drive out growth
Connecticut: Bond covenants barring legislators from making certain fiscal policy changes for an extended period time risk tying state’s fiscal hands.
Florida: Gov. Rick Scott signs a $88.7 billion dollar budget, with just $64 million dollars of vetoes.
Georgia: The Georgia Senate approves a $26 billion state budget.
Idaho: Revenues rise 12 percent over last year to date, beating forecasts by 6.7 percent, .
Illinois: Half of Illinois voters see cuts in government waste, inefficiency as budget solution, according to Simon poll.
Iowa: Working with higher revenues, legislature passes mid-year budget reductions, saving taxpayers millions.
Kansas: Senate passes preliminary budget, still working on changes to school funding.
Kentucky: House and Senate continue work on budget, looking at tax hikes.
Louisiana: Budget woes have credit rating agencies reassessing state stability; credit downgrade likely.
Louisiana: Early budget trajectory shows shortfall; partisan politics driving divide.
Maryland: General Assembly passes $44.5 billion budget, increases spending 2.2 percent.
Michigan: Detroit continues to save cash for pension cliff, hopes to pad general budget; state oversight will end in April.
Mississippi: “Flat” budget possible. Lawmakers believe strong revenues will cushion next year’s budget.
Missouri: Lawmakers set to work on state budget.
Montana: Strong revenue reports give hope to Montana lawmakers on budget.
Nebraska: Budget hangs in balance as lawmakers debate Title X funds removal.
Nebraska: Revenue forecasted to grow, would aid agriculture.
New Jersey: Murphy to propose raising N.J. sales tax in first budget. Here are all the taxes Phil Murphy wants to enact or raie in his first budget.
New Jersey: New Jersey explores solutions to soaring special-education costs.
New Mexico: Budget hikes spending, grants raises for state employees and teachers. Governor vetoes $11.7 million in spending, puts more in cash reserves.
New York: Transit plan would bloat budget, force property taxes higher.
New York: New York Senate puts online poker, sports betting in its new budget.
Oklahoma: House passes tax hike to fund excessive spending, schools, teacher raises. Senate concurs.
South Dakota: Spending has grown by $540 million over just two years.
South Dakota: Governor signs $4.7 billion budget, includes spending hikes in three “priority” areas.
Vermont: House passes $5.8 billion budget for FY2019, increases spending on “investments”.
Washington: Spending hike in two-year budget signed by governor. Property taxes were hiked to meet state Supreme Court education funding guidelines.
Wyoming: Legislature approves budget, sends to governor ; fails to address looming budget gap.
Pensions
National: A worrying shift for pensions: Retirees will soon outnumber kids .
National: Uncle Sam must rein in retirement benefits or we’re headed for economic disaster
Arizona: Elected officials retirement plan may collapse in nine years without reforms.
California: CalSTRS and CalPERS contributions are expected to rise dramatically over the next decade, creating structural deficits.
California: California unions planning next steps if Janus ruling goes against them
California: Cover-up at San Francisco Unified School District.
California: How more generous pensions boosted cities’ costs in California
California: California’s pension woes exacerbated by politics.
California: Budget grades show conflict between today’s costs, yesterday’s promises.
Colorado: Colorado House passes a pension reform bill that would help deleverage the state over time. The Colorado Senate is expected to offer significant amendments.
Colorado: Make Colorado’s public pensions like private-Sector plans.
Connecticut: New Haven, Connecticut, will look to borrow $250 million to fund pension liability.
Connecticut: As pensions grow, state struggling to pay.
Connecticut: The “Trump Bump” lifted the two largest state pension funds by 16 percent over the past year.
Hawaii: Senate Bill 2333 would be the first step in creating a state facilitated retirement system for the private sector.
Illinois: The Chicago Public Schools’ Teacher pension system continues to deteriorate despite strong economic growth.
Illinois: Illinois household income up 111% in past 30 years; Promised state pension benefits (accrued liabilities)…. up 1,061%
Illinois: Shoving social politics in pensions.
Illinois: Corruption: Transparency group finds pay spiking practices continue to cost taxpayers in Illinois.
Kentucky: Tensions continue to rise on Kentucky pension reform
Louisiana: Reshaped pension proposed for future Louisiana state workers.
Michigan: Michigan reveals post-Detroit pension woes
Minnesota: Report: Minnesota’s financial health ‘drastically worse’ than prior years .
Nevada: Nevada assemblywoman’s pension ‘fix’ akin to pouring gasoline on a fire.
New Jersey: Bill Turns PFRS management over to unions – skews proper governance, injects more politics into pensions.
New Jersey: New Jersey Raises expected pension fund return to 7.5%; Move further underfunds state’s pensions.
Oregon: Largest Oregon pensioner rakes in nearly $1 million a year .
Oregon: PERS: Lawmakers pass bill to boost public pension contributions
Texas: Why the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System is stuck with nuts and other ‘crazy’ investments
Washington: Washington state’s treasurer calls for reducing unfunded pension liabilities.
West Virginia: West Virginia bill would criminalize failure to make public pension system contributions.
Wisconsin: Wisconsin public employee pensions to rise at least 2.4%.