The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives about Government Performance

Providence Business News: R.I. to Participate in Results First Initiative

Rhode Island has been selected as the 14th partner state in the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, a program that helps states assess the costs and benefits of fiscal policy options and make better decisions based on informed results, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee announced.

Providence Journal: Gov. Chafee: R.I. Selected for 'Results First' Program of Data-Driven Policy Making

Rhode Island has been selected for the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, which helps states look at costs and benefits before making policy decisions.

Kentucky Enacts Outcomes-Driven Home Visiting Policy

On April 4, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear signed into law a measure that sets up one of the strongest home visiting systems in the country by building on the strength of Kentucky’s flagship home visiting program for new and expectant parents, the Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) Program.

Sequester Will Impact States

Pew's Anne Stauffer, an expert in the federal-state fiscal relationship, discusses the challenges policymakers face and how the sequester impacts states differently.

Federal Grants to States Subject to Sequester Vary Widely Across Program Areas

How budget cuts under the sequester could impact states.

In Michigan and Wisconsin, Some Lawmakers Want to Go Part-Time

Should lawmakers in Michigan and Wisconsin cut their work hours? That’s what some hope to do, as they push constitutional amendments that would convert their states’ full-time legislatures into part-time bodies.

The Impact of the Fiscal Cliff on the States: Sequestration

The scheduled across-the-board cuts to federal defense and nondefense spending would have both direct and indirect impacts on states' budgets. This interactive tool highlights various indicators of states' vulnerabilities to the sequester.

Database: Tax Expenditures

Explore our Tax Expenditure Database.

Concerns Mount Over State Handling of Mortgage Funds

As states spend the $2.5 billion awarded to them as part of the mortgage crisis settlement agreed to earlier this year, there’s growing concern funds aren’t going where help’s needed most.

Which States Are Most Innovative?

Students of politics have long debated why some states are quick to adopt new policies while some wait years for others to try them out first. A new study takes a comprehensive look at state innovation over time.

Fiscal Federalism by the Numbers

Federal and state finances intersect in a number of ways. Showing how closely they are intertwined is one way the Fiscal Federalism Initiative enhances federal and state policy makers' understanding of the federal-state relationship.

In Palin Ruling, Alaska Supreme Court OKs Personal Email for State Business

The Alaska Supreme Court on Friday said state officials may use personal email accounts to conduct official business, but some emails sent from private accounts may be subject to open records law.

Survey: As State Budgets Improve, So Does Trust in Government

A Gallup survey estimates that 65 percent of Americans have expressed a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in their state governments, a level not seen since the days before the financial crisis.

Wisconsin Judge Strikes Down Collective Bargaining Restrictions

A county judge in Wisconsin has thrown out most of Governor Scott Walker’s law that severely restricts collective bargaining for public employees, throwing into question changes to contracts already negotiated under the year-old law.

Alabama’s Past, Future on the Ballot

Alabama voters will get the chance this fall to rid their state constitution of antiquated references to the “telegraph” and use of the gold standard and eliminate racist language adopted during the time of Jim Crow laws.

Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law Repeal Headed for Ballot

The Michigan Supreme Court has resolved a dispute about whether opponents of the state’s emergency manager law had used the correct type size on their ballot initiative petitions, which was challenging their validity.

Better Programs, Better Results

This case study focuses on quality assurance monitoring in juvenile justice programs in Washington state—which has led the way in using cutting-edge cost-benefit analysis to guide its budget and policy choices.

Detroit and Its Unions Fight Over Work Rules

As Detroit’s workforce shrinks, labor and city leaders face tough questions about how to make do with the employees they have left. Antiquated work rules are at the heart of the dispute.

Detroit and Michigan: A Fragile Bargain

The state of Michigan and its largest city have pledged cooperation to keep the city afloat. But neither quite trusts the other.

Iowa Law Directs Home Visiting Funds to Proven Programs

Iowa has emerged as a national leader for using solid evidence and data-driven accountability systems to get the best possible outcomes from its home visiting investments.

North Carolina Agency Is Local Government Lifeline

Local governments are doing better in North Carolina than in other fiscally challenged parts of the country. They have a little-known instrument of state government to thank for that.

Return on Investment

This report, from a Results First partner, offers a user-friendly look at the costs and benefits of evidence-based programs in the following areas: adult and juvenile criminal justice, child welfare, pre-K–12 education, adult and children’s mental health, and substance abuse.

The Local Squeeze

While states slowly recover in the wake of the Great Recession, local governments have been hit with a one-two punch: State aid and property taxes, which together account for more than half of local revenues, are dropping simultaneously for the first time since 1980.

Troubled Times at the State Fair

State Fairs are facing a budget crunch, and one solution is to turn them over to private ownership.

The Dawn of the Evidence-Based Budget

Could this be the coming of age of “evidence-based policy making”?

Oklahoma Rejects Bonding for Capitol Renovation

As the legislature adjourns, repairs for the Capitol and state office buildings are put off another year.

Q&A With Outgoing Colorado Pension Chief: ‘The 401(k) Experiment Is a Failure’

After more than two decades heading public employee pension systems in Colorado and Kansas, Meredith Williams says Americans are woefully underprepared for retirement.

Report Touts Privatization Momentum

Report finds that more states are privatizing services.

Guest Blog: 13 States Get on Board for Cutting-Edge Cost-Benefit Analysis

In an era of persistent budget deficits, at least a dozen states are moving to adapt and implement a cutting-edge tool for policy research and analysis, beginning with criminal justice policy and eventually expanding to other areas. States are under increasing pressure to ensure that scarce resources are invested in programs that yield the best results. In addition, many policy makers are looking for information that would allow them to target cuts more strategically, rather than making across-the-board reductions that treat effective and ineffective programs alike.

Should Legislators Hold Two Public Jobs?

In many states, it’s common for members of the legislature to work simultaneously for another branch of government. Some see that as a serious conflict of interest. Others think it improves the legislative process.

Report: New Jersey First in Anti-Corruption Measures

TODAY'S TAKE: Long plagued by scandal, New Jersey's state government has the nation's most comprehensive and rigidly enforced anti-corruption laws, a 50-state investigation has found. In most states transparency and government accountability are said to be lacking.

Crime Labs Struggle With DNA Test Demands

State laboratories are being asked to handle more DNA samples every year. They use federal funding to meet part of the expense, but backlogs persist nevertheless.

Oregon Looks to Shrink Middle Management

An unusual mix of Republicans, Democrats and labor leaders are working together to restructure state government.

States Push to Shake Up Personnel Practices

Civil service rules that haven't changed in decades are being re-assessed by several governors bent on major changes in the system.

Seven Questions for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

Rick Snyder hasn't followed the confrontational path of many Republican governors elected in 2010. In a Stateline interview, he explains some of his strategies.

Mississippi Republicans Challenge Powers of Attorney General

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood hires lots of outside lawyers. They make a great deal of money for the state, and for themselves. Not everyone is happy with that situation.

Fact Sheet: Results First

The choices states make today about how to invest their limited resources will dramatically shape our nation’s future.

New York Poised to Make Major Management Changes

MANAGEMENT BEAT: In his state of the state address on Wednesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo promised major alterations in both the organization of the public workforce and the day-to-day operations of state agencies.

Better Results, Lower Costs

This 2012 brief details how Results First, an initiative of the Pew Center on the States and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation with additional support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, helped other states implement Washington’s model for use in criminal justice. Over time, this model can be implemented in policy areas such as child welfare, health care, housing, Pre-K-12 education, mental health, public assistance, substance abuse, and teen birth-prevention programs.

Five Lessons From Overwhelmed Agencies

Last week, Stateline took an in-depth look at what's causing growing backlogs of work at state agencies across the country. Here are five lessons gleaned from dozens of interviews with state officials, including those who are currently struggling with a backlog and some who have successfully cleared one up.

Overcoming a Backlog: How Texas Conquered a Mountain of Food Stamps Applications

PART THREE OF THREE: Not long ago, Texas was slower than any other state at telling people whether they could receive food stamps. Today, the state ranks near the top. Here's how Texas did it.

Anatomy of a Backlog: How Vermont Fell Behind on Adult Protective Services

PART TWO OF THREE: State systems to protect vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect are straining under growing caseloads and budgets that don't keep pace with the amount of work. Vermont's backlog of 733 open or unassigned cases highlights the depth of the challenges.

Short-Staffed and Budget-Bare, Overwhelmed State Agencies Are Unable to Keep Up

PART ONE OF THREE: States across the country are seeing growing backlogs of work, as shrinking staffs struggle to meet rising demand for some services. From public housing to crime labs, restaurant inspections to court systems, four years of layoffs, furloughs and hiring freezes are beginning to take a toll.

Federal Health Law Offers New Benefits for Children of State Workers

The end of a ban on state employee's kids enrolling in CHIP could broaden coverage for a substantial number of low-income families.

Indiana Ready to Restart Battle Over Union Rights

TODAY'S TAKE: Republican legislative leaders intend to make Indiana a "right-to-work" state next year, all but ensuring that this year's bruising contests over union rights will return to the Midwest in 2012.

Far-Reaching Pension Overhaul Set to Become Law in Rhode Island

TODAY'S TAKE: Legislators in Rhode Island have passed a contentious measure to rein in the state's exploding public pension costs. Opponents have threatened a lawsuit, saying the lawmakers "are trying to solve a 40-year-old problem in one day."

A New Pay System for Wisconsin State Workers

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Wisconsin's new compensation plan for state employees, the first in decades to be drafted without significant worker participation, freezes pay and creates a controversial new method of rewarding employee performance.

Drive to Reverse SB 5 in Ohio Is Labor's Last, Best Hope for 2011 Win

A law enacted by Republicans in Ohio this spring represents one of the most dramatic challenges to organized labor anywhere in the nation in 2011. But it may be repealed by voters next week.

Why Layoff Notices From States Are More Common Than Layoffs

MANAGEMENT BEAT: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is in the process of issuing 26,000 layoff notices. But far fewer workers are likely to actually lose their jobs.

Labor Scuffles Continue in New York and Connecticut

MANAGEMENT BEAT: Most of the Connecticut employees laid off as a result of a battle over contract concessions this summer have since been rehired. Meanwhile, New York sent 3,500 workers layoff notices after rank-and-file members of a large union rejected an agreement last week.