Tag: Budget

Tag: Budget (page 2)

  • The Williams Report image

    The Williams Report

    Budget  National: States in For Fiscal Crises Without Reining in of Irresponsible Spending. California: Despite Warnings of Recession, Gov. Brown’s Budget Proposal Massively Hikes…

  • Williams Report: Holiday Recap image

    Williams Report: Holiday Recap

    Budget Connecticut: Official projects Connecticut budget deficit at $224 million  Kentucky:  Governor Matt Bevin is ordering most state agencies to cut their budgets by 1.3% to cover budget gap.

  • Taxpayers in Every State Bearing Costs of Medicaid Expansion image

    Taxpayers in Every State Bearing Costs of Medicaid Expansion

    Was Medicaid expansion a fiscally prudent decision for state governments? As with most sweeping changes, it depends on whom you ask. Medicaid expansion, a part of the Affordable Care Act…

  • Proposed Tax Increases Threaten to Stunt Oklahoma Recovery image

    Proposed Tax Increases Threaten to Stunt Oklahoma Recovery

    The Oklahoma legislature is considering tax increases on cigarettes, beer, and fuel, along with doubling the severance tax on new oil and natural gas wells. The estimated…

  • Taxpayers Score Win as Pennsylvania House Squashes Proposed Tax Hikes image

    Taxpayers Score Win as Pennsylvania House Squashes Proposed Tax Hikes

    Late Wednesday night, members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a budget that is free of the onerous tax increases included in previous budgets passed by…

  • North Carolina Accelerates Broad-Based Tax Relief image

    North Carolina Accelerates Broad-Based Tax Relief

    By further lowering economically destructive taxes on productivity, North Carolina lawmakers are giving the state’s economy yet another long-term boost, further magnetizing its draw for individuals and businesses alike.

  • State of the State: Illinois image

    State of the State: Illinois

    From Illinois’ crushing taxes and regulations to the state’s fiscal problems, it is easy to see why people are voting with their feet and leaving the state at disproportionately high rates. If the Land of Lincoln wishes to stop the bleeding, Governor Rauner can’t be the only one with good ideas—members of the General Assembly and the general public need to get behind necessary reform efforts to save the state.

  • Administration’s Budget Reins In Spending, Predicts Enhanced GDP Growth image

    Administration’s Budget Reins In Spending, Predicts Enhanced GDP Growth

    The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 outlined an ambitious pro-growth agenda—addressing discretionary as well as entitlement spending. The $4.1 trillion budget for fiscal year 2018 is a slight increase…

  • State of the State: Delaware image

    State of the State: Delaware

    Governor Carney's agenda resists overall spending reductions, advocates for higher taxes and neglects other needed policy reforms (such as worker’s compensation and worker freedom). With a legislature unlikely to circumvent the lackluster agenda of the new governor, don’t expect Delaware’s economic outlook to break through the median anytime soon.

  • State of the State: Ohio image

    State of the State: Ohio

    A renewed focus on reforms-rather than government micromanagement-can ensure the governor’s homestretch is one of continued economic renewal.

  • State of the State: New Hampshire image

    State of the State: New Hampshire

    Despite the Granite State’s strengths and Sununu’s proposals, there remains work to be done. For example, the top marginal tax rate for corporations is a steep 8.2%; and although New Hampshire doesn’t have a personal income tax or sales tax, it does have the highest property tax burden in the nation. New Hampshire also ranks a lackluster 37th in the nation in terms of burdensome regulations according to the Pacific Research Institute. Furthermore, the recently released ALEC report Unaccountable and Unaffordable 2016 ranks the state’s pension funding level at 43rd nationally. Using a risk-free rate of return of 2.344 percent, New Hampshire’s state pensions are unfunded in excess of $13,000 per capita with a funded ratio of just 28 percent.

  • State of the Commonwealth: Massachusetts image

    State of the Commonwealth: Massachusetts

    Overall, however, the state’s steps towards economic competitiveness are yielding results. Governor Baker rightfully recognized this achievement, “We built a bipartisan team, worked in partnership with the legislature and looked for common ground.” Shrinking the state’s budget gap by over $1 billion without tax or fee increases is just one example.

  • State of the State: Vermont image

    State of the State: Vermont

    With Vermont’s economic outlook continuing to languish at 49th (according to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Rich States, Poor States publication), legislators may be ready to take the governor’s charge to heart: “We must act now, and begin our ascent.”

  • State of the State: Utah image

    State of the State: Utah

    The governor cautioned against “altering our tax policies in any way that could damage our robust economic engine.” He also advised that the “best way to ensure ongoing growth of education funding is to continue to grow our economy. Failure to take into account how tax rates affect business investment won’t help us make good policy decisions.” Indeed, the relatively low top marginal personal and corporate income tax rates (18th and 11th lowest, respectively) are partly responsible for Utah holding the top economic outlook for 10 consecutive years.

  • State of the State: Michigan image

    State of the State: Michigan

    Fortunately, the governor recognizes that the government can best enable growth by removing artificial obstacles to entrepreneurs: “Over the last few years we dumped the dumbest tax in America, we cut needless regulations, we started paying down our long-term debt, we started saving for the future, we laid the groundwork for success we have today so our businesses could create jobs. We create the environment for job creation, we don’t create those jobs.”

  • State of the State: Hawaii image

    State of the State: Hawaii

    One of the highest personal income tax rates in the nation and the highest sales tax burden in the nation, and forced unionization all contribute to Hawaii’s 42nd place economic outlook ranking according to ALEC’s annual Rich States, Poor States publication.

  • State of the State: Oklahoma image

    State of the State: Oklahoma

    Oklahoma’s economic outlook remains bright, despite the recent localized recession as the oil boom crashed to a halt. Rather than enacting these permanent tax increases, a continuation of temporary budget constraints more adequately will preserve the Sooner State’s economic competitiveness.

  • State of the State: Indiana image

    State of the State: Indiana

    Governor Holcomb should continue the legacy of his predecessors by ensuring a phase-in of the tax cuts, expanding educational choice, and minimizing intrusive regulations. But attempting to short-circuit organic jobs growth by redistributing tax dollars from the state’s venture capital slush fund strays from good government principles. Doling out favors to politically-connected businesses and attempting to centrally direct sector growth is not reflective of free enterprise. Indiana is well-positioned to benefit from previously enacted reforms. Now is the time to build on this progress rather than engage in transformative retrogression.

  • State of the State: Georgia image

    State of the State: Georgia

    Though much improved over five years ago, the current economic situation in Georgia is anything but peachy. In the annual State of the State Address, Governor Nathan Deal discussed his…

  • State of the State: South Carolina image

    State of the State: South Carolina

    The Clemson Tigers’ historic win in Monday’s National Championship game may be at forefront of the minds of everyone in South Carolina, but the Palmetto State has much more of which…