The Williams Report
A look at fiscal headlines from statehouses nationwide.
State Budgets
Arkansas: State of the State
ALEC applauds Governor Hutchinson’s eagerness to pursue pro-growth economic reform in Arkansas.
Arizona: Education is The “Centerpiece” Of Governor Ducey’s New Budget
Governor Doug Ducey proposes putting $114 million into K-12 education above and beyond inflation and enrollment growth.
Colorado: State of the State
Despite good intentions, the big-spending agenda put forth by the governor only pays lip service to the trailblazing which made Colorado great.
California: What’s hurting California’s budget: The rich aren’t getting richer as fast as they used to
The state has grown too reliant on taxing the highest-earning Californians.
Connecticut: State of the State
Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s State of the State address acknowledged the $1.4 billion elephant in the room.
Georgia: State of the State
Governor Deal’s proposals for increased spending on infrastructure, education and economic development far outweighed his suggestions for enhanced government efficiency.
Iowa: Condition of the State
Governor Branstad noted he will seek justification for each taxpayer dollar spent rather than utilize incremental budgeting.
Kansas: State of the State
Any such tax increases would diminish hard fought attempts to bolster the economic competitiveness of Kansas, something the state cannot afford.
New Hampshire: Another View—Jonathan Williams: The NH Advantage grows with Right-to-Work
Equipping businesses with flexibility and employees with the freedom to choose will brighten the prospects for growth in New Hampshire.
Nebraska: State of the State
Governor Ricketts emphasized the need to control spending before moving forward with tax reform.
North Dakota: State of the State
ALEC applauds Governor Burgum for focusing on the need to reform the state’s budget, reduce taxes and make government more efficient for citizens of North Dakota.
Pennsylvania: A better state budget—Rather than raising taxes, seek these innovations that have cross-party appeal
“I’m not going to call for an increase in the personal-income tax or sales tax. We have to make sure the commonwealth lives within its means,” promised Governor Tom Wolf.
South Carolina: State of the State
Reforming South Carolina’s underfunded state pension system, as well as repairing the integrity of the state’s roads and infrastructure is high on many lawmakers’ list of priorities.
Virginia: State of the Commonwealth: Virginia
Faltering tax revenues are a substantial part of Virginia’s budget crisis, but excessive spending and government inefficiency are a larger problem.
West Virginia: Jim Justice and Mitch Carmichael trade shots over state budget, already
West Virginia has an estimated $400 million budget hole.
Wisconsin: State of the State
While Governor Walker plans to increase spending for certain large budgetary items such as education and infrastructure, he is committed to keeping the tax burden low.
Pensions:
National: Keeping the Promise: Getting Politics out of Pensions
The reckless decision to place political agendas ahead of what’s best for workers is known as pension fund cronyism, and it is happening every year in pension funds across the country.
Alabama: Hey Alabama, Keep Your Pension Promises
The police officers, firefighters and teachers of Alabama deserve to have their retirement investments work for them and earn the best long-term returns.
California: CalPERS lowers its target rate of return to 7 percent from 7.5 percent by 2020
“There’s no doubt CalPERS needs to start aligning its rate of return expectations with reality,’’ said Governor Jerry Brown.
Connecticut: Connecticut’s Unfunded Pension Liability Increases To Worst Level In Years
“This is not a question of the state putting more money into the account, we must overhaul the entire system before it goes broke,” explained House Minority Leader Themis Klarides.
Hawaii: Hawaii Employees lowers assumed rate of return to 7%
Effective July 1, 2017, the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System lowered its assumed rate of return from 7.55 percent to 7 percent.
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania’s pension crisis just got worse, and the Legislature must act
According to the Pennsylvania’s Public School Employee’s Retirement System, teacher pension costs will be higher than expected in 2017-18.