The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives about

Congress May Reverse Some of Sequester’s Cuts to WIC

An effort to keep the federal government open could also deliver relief to pregnant women, mothers and young children in need of food.

Nullification: Old Arguments Against Feds Get New Life

States challenging Washington is not new, but Second Amendment worries have breathed new life into a movement championing a wider range of topics than ever before.

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

How budget cuts under the sequester could impact states.

Obama Sends $50.5 billion Sandy Relief Package to States

Federal aid is finally headed to the Atlantic Coast states, three months after Hurricane Sandy ravaged their shores.

Update: Fiscal Cliff Deal Poses Uncertainty For States

An update on how the sequester and possible future federal spending cuts could impact state budgets.

Uncertainty from Washington Continues for States

States trying to craft their budgets for the upcoming year will have to wait until March for more details from Washington.

Northeast Governors Outraged About Sandy Aid Delay

Frustration boiled over on Wednesday, the day after the U.S. House, finishing up a compromise to avert the nation’s “fiscal cliff,” scrapped a vote on the $60.4 billion relief plan approved last month by the Senate.

‘Cliff’ Deal Answers a Few Questions for States

Congress averted the much-feared “fiscal cliff” late Tuesday, passing a legislative package to be signed promptly by President Obama. The deal answered a few burning questions for state governments, but many still linger.

In Fiscal Cliff Talks, Governors Get White House Seat

A group of governors on Tuesday called for Washington to find a solution — any solution — to the nation’s budget woes as the federal government’s so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ grows nearer.

Law Enforcement Predicts Dire Impact from Automatic Cuts

Law enforcement officers fear that if the automatic funding cuts, known as sequestration, take effect on Jan.2, 2013, layoffs and program closures are sure to follow, according to a survey from the National Criminal Justice Association and the Vera Institute of Justice.

With VP Pick, Romney Endorses Fed-State Overhaul on Food Stamps, Medicaid

By choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has endorsed large changes in federal-state relations, particularly in dealings with food assistance and health care.

Nine Subsidyscope Charts for Nine Economic Sectors

There are stark differences in how the government directs resources across different sectors of the economy, according to charts released by Pew’s Subsidyscope project.

As Federal Funding Dries Up, States May Play Greater Clean Tech Role

Drastic federal spending cuts pose challenges for the U.S. clean energy sector, researchers say, and states may need to help fill in the gap.

States May Lose Federal Help in Fighting Radon

Federal budget cuts worry state officials who depend on money from Washington to help combat cancer-causing radon gas.

Federal Credit Downgrade Hurts Colorado Localities

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: When Standard & Poors downgraded the federal government's credit rating last year, it also caused problems for municipalities in Colorado, where a unique state law governs local investments.

Governors Protest Cuts to Air Guard

TODAY'S TAKE: Governors from both parties are expressing alarm over proposed Pentagon budget cuts to the Air National Guard, saying the state-based force is taking a "disproportionate" share of the nation's fiscal pain.

Congressional Wrangling Leaves Sales Tax Deduction in Question

TODAY'S TAKE: Residents of seven states without an individual income tax are watching the budget debate on Capitol Hill to see whether they will be able to keep writing off state sales taxes on goods they purchase.

Obama Budget Shakes Up Municipal Bonds

TODAY'S TAKE: President Obama wants to reduce tax breaks for high-income earners who invest in municipal bonds. The idea worries state and local governments, which say it would increase their borrowing costs.

Implications of Different Bases for a Value Added Tax

This paper, written by the Tax Policy Center (TPC) and sponsored by the Pew Fiscal Analysis Initiative, examines the impacts of different VAT bases and how they vary among income and age groups.

State of the States 2012

States face a tough economic climate in the wake of the Great Recession. Sue Urahn discusses the top three challenges for states in the year ahead.

States Await Outcome of Wrangling Over Obama Jobs Plan

TODAY'S TAKE: President Obama's $447 billion jobs bill lacks the votes needed to pass the Democratic Senate, let alone the Republican House of Representatives. Lawmakers now will consider individual parts, including aid to states.

Unemployment Overpayments: Fraud or Flawed System?

According to the federal government, states made errors in paying out 11 cents of every dollar they spent on jobless benefits last year. State officials say high error rates are largely due to clerical mistakes rather than government waste.

Congressional Super Committee Short on State Experience

TAX AND BUDGET BEAT: The congressional panel charged with cutting the national debt will make decisions that are critical for states, but most of the members have served as state officials only briefly, if at all.

Before Jobs Speech, Obama Pushes Highway Funding

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: As he prepares to address Congress on his plans for creating jobs, President Obama is urging federal lawmakers to renew a major transportation law, detailing the potential jobs that could be lost in every state if it lapses.

Will Obama Jobs Plan Include Aid to States?

TODAY'S TAKE: The White House reportedly favors a $300 billion jobs program that will contain direct aid to state and local governments, which have been laying off employees by the thousands.

Kil Huh: The Federal Debt Deal Crucial for States

Kil Huh explains how the federal debt deal may affect the states when Congress returned from its 2011 summer recess.

O'Malley Mulls Tax Hikes to Offset Federal Cuts

TAX & BUDGET BEAT: Maryland's governor says tax increases could happen next year ... Virginia's governor wants a new rainy day fund ... Tennessee fights to preserve its credit rating and more tax and budget news.

Pentagon Cuts Have Military States Worried

The federal debt-reduction deal contains at least $350 billion - but perhaps as much as $950 billion - in defense spending cuts over 10 years. Some states see serious problems for their military-dependent economies.

Transportation Deadlock Worries States

Next month, a deeply divided Congress will decide how much money to give states to build and maintain highways, bridges and public transit systems. The outcome is anybody's guess.

Amid Fiscal Uncertainty, States Prepare for Cuts

TODAY'S TAKE: With the stock market reeling, the federal government's credit rating lowered and major domestic spending cuts from Congress to come, some states see far more fiscal trouble on the horizon.

Balanced Budget Amendment Would Be Tall Order

TODAY'S TAKE: Republicans on Capitol Hill and in many state legislatures are talking about the need for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Even if such a plan cleared Congress, however, it would need the approval of 38 states.

Uncertainty Remains for States in Wake of Debt Deal

Pew Research Director Kil Huh provides insights into the good and bad news for states and localities in the wake of the debt ceiling deal.

For States, Debt Deal is Short on Details

Spending reductions will eventually scale back some federal aid to states, but almost all of the specifics remain to be decided.

Citing Federal Debt, Moody's Warns Five States

TODAY'S TAKE: Moody's Investors Service is warning that the political impasse over federal debt could result in five states seeing their own stellar credit ratings downgraded.

Infographic: Wyoming First in Federal Dollars Per Capita

The federal budget provides about 30 percent of state revenue, making it the largest single source of funds for many states. But the feds are more generous with some states than others.

The U.S. Debt Limit: Frequently Asked Questions

The debt limit (also called the debt ceiling) is established in law and limits the amount of debt that the federal government can issue. This 2011 Q&A addresses questions about the U.S. Debt Limit.

May 2011 Update: Paths for Reducing the Federal Debt

This May 2011 addendum used the recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) data and certain revised assumptions. Pew's updated projections estimated that, absent any corrective action, publicly held federal debt would reach 111 percent of GDP by 2025, the highest level in American history.

Federal Shutdown Could Worsen States' Budget Pain

TODAY'S TAKE: A shutdown of the federal government wouldn't amount to an immediate crisis for states. But it still could have negative fiscal consequences at a time when states can least afford them.

States Don't See Crisis in Federal Shutdown — Yet

If a congressional budget fight results in the federal government closing down later this week, the short-term damage to states would be minimal. It's a protracted shutdown that states worry about.

Federal Budget Cuts Likely for State Justice Programs

PUBLIC SAFETY BEAT: President Obama and House Republicans both seek spending cuts for criminal justice programs important to states … Grover Norquist embraces prison reform … A Florida budget cut raises fears in Kentucky…and other public safety news.

No Silver Bullet

This September 2010 report illustrated just how difficult it would be to tackle America’s fiscal problem by relying exclusively on any single strategy.

Congress Making States Nervous

TODAY'S TAKE: States are anxiously watching Congress wrangle over a series of measures they are counting on to help pay for health care, education and unemployment benefits for millions of their residents. But the federal government's well-documented financial problems - and the growing attention paid to them on the campaign trail - are threatening those measures. Critics say the government can't afford them.

Summary of the Pennsylvania Executive Budget Address

In his last executive budget address, term-limited Democratic Gov. Edward G. Rendell Feb. 9 proposed a controversial tax plan that would trim the sales tax rate, but apply it to more goods and services. His $26.3 billion budget proposal includes $2.7 billion in federal stimulus money and assumes continued federal help with health care expenses.

Rejecting Stimulus Funds: Pros and Cons

With a record 12.5 million Americans on the unemployment line and state budgets bleeding billions of dollars, it might seem politically suicidal that a group of Republican governors would want to walk away from their states' full share of the federal stimulus package. But some experts say these governors' actions make sense politically.

Court Cuts Trigger Blunt Warnings

The budget emergency facing state governments has produced an uncommon alliance of advocates - from business leaders to public defenders and chief judges - who, in blunt terms, are urging state lawmakers not to slash funding for the courts.

Stimulus to Ease, Not Fix, State Budget Woes

Exactly how much each state will get from the $787 billion economic package that President Obama is expected to sign shortly will vary widely, but the infusion of federal dollars still won't plug the gaping holes in many state budgets.

Congress, States Try to Harness West Winds

The economic stimulus package before Congress includes incentives to build more electric lines for wind power. But state and federal leaders still must conquer imposing obstacles, from mountain ranges to a daunting economy to layers of red tape.

House Stimulus Plan Wins State Praise

State officials got their first look of the massive economic package worth $825 billion that Congress promises to deliver next month to President-elect Barack Obama, and many liked what they saw.

Sanford Fights Bailout for States

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) is at odds with most of the nation's governors: He is crusading against calls to send billions of dollars to cash-strapped states to help stimulate the economy.

Delegates Speak: California on Federal Funding

California delegate John Perez, 38, of Los Angeles, representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, interviewed by Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org.