Pennsylvania is as close as it has ever come to privatizing liquor sales following a House vote in March. Tricky questions await the Senate as it considers whether to modernize or dismantle the state’s multifarious system. more

What are the risks when consumers receive their tax refund on a prepaid card? The use of general purpose reloadable prepaid cards has grown 600 percent since 2010, and Americans are expected to load over $200 billion on them this year, according to the Mercator Advisory Group.    more

Several governors are talking about major change in their state tax structures this year. How do they know how much money a revised tax system will bring in? Often, they don’t. more

Over the years, states have carved out ever more generous tax breaks for the elderly. Now, Kentucky and a few other states are beginning to question whether these policies cost too much. more

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