The Political Bridge

Jack Conway, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate in KY, Responds to the Bunning Filibuster of Unemployment Benefits

For Immediate Release   Contact: Allison Haley

February 26, 2010   Office Phone: 502-632-1820

www.jackconway.org      Mobile Phone: 859-539-5430

    [email protected]

LOUISVILLE - Democratic candidate for United States Senate Jack Conway today issued this statement regarding recent actions by Senator Jim Bunning:
 
"Jim Bunning's filibuster of an urgent extension of unemployment and health care benefits is preposterous and it isn't fair to the people of Kentucky and the nation. Without this extension, these critical benefits that help Kentucky workers and families will expire on Sunday.
 
"During one of the worst economic crises in generations, as people continue to lose their jobs left and right, Jim Bunning is taking this opportunity to engage in grandstanding and political posturing, despite being asked to stop even by his Republican colleagues.
 
"It's outrageous, and we have to stop it. Over 200,000 Kentuckians are out of work. Over one million people nationwide stand to lose unemployment and health benefits if we don't tell Jim Bunning that we won't stand for it anymore.
 
"This is a symptom of the Washington gridlock that is standing in the way of solutions that can help the citizens of Kentucky. We need to tell Jim Bunning that politics don't come first - the people of Kentucky do. Kentucky needs a fresh voice in Washington - a voice that puts the needs of workers and families first. If elected, I will be that voice."

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Paid For By Conway For US Senate

Conway For US Senate - PO Box 6168 Louisville KY 40206 - [email protected]

KY Budget Update from State Representative Reginald Meeks

BUDGET UPDATE:  Our budget committees have met, recommendations have been submitted, and the detailed work of finding sufficient funds to plug the well documented state budget shortfall is underway. We expect to publicly disclose a formal proposal next week --hopefully.  I outlined a number of potential efficiencies in last week’s District Update.  Below are a number of additional proposals being reviewed and considered:

· Companies can now spread 1 year of losses over 20 years of their future state income tax payments.  We are looking at delaying for 2 years this “off-set” which may generate $28 million this year; $82 million in ’11 and $100 million in ’12.

·  Requiring companies to submit sales tax collections sooner than the current deadline.  This accelerated sales tax collection should generate $90 million over the biennium.

· Daily room taxes are paid for hotel/lodging stays less than 30 days, but not for those staying 31 days or more. Treating all hotel lodging equitably will generate $6.6 million over the biennium.

· Kentuckians working out of the country have their first $80,000 in income exempt from taxes….but not Kentuckians who l live and work in the state.  Providing parity for these workers with their in-state kin will generate $24 million for the biennium.  This would NOT apply to those serving in the military.

BUDGET DISCUSSIONS REMAIN FLUID, SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE NEW DETAILS AND ACTIVITY!

At least two House bills are one step closer to becoming law this week after being passed by the Senate. HB 51 now goes to the governor for his signature. It will enhance suicide prevention efforts by requiring public middle and high school to distribute suicide prevention materials to their students every fall and require the state to post suicide prevention information on its web site.  Concern for the welfare of Kentucky’s children is the focus of a bill addressing “sexting”—the practice of sending sexual images or imagery through text messages. Under HB 143, teens under age 18 will have to perform community service and pay a $100 fine the first time they are caught sending or possessing nude images through text messages. Supporters said the bill would both protect victims and prevent teens from facing possible felony charges later by making first-time offenders aware of the consequences of their behavior.

HB 95 is one bill whose number does not appear to be a winner.  It is a bill I introduced to allow the lottery to advertise and educate the public about where and how lottery proceeds are used.  Of all states with lotteries, only we have this prohibition!  A simple way to be transparent, build public confidence and maybe increase profits by $7 - $10 million for MORE scholarships….    

Haitian Relief is still needed.  Visit www.USAID.gov or www.whitehouse.gov  or contact the Red Cross and help in any way you see fit to help.

Stay informed of action on bills and meetings at www.lrc.ky.gov, or call the toll-free Bill Status Line at 866.840.2835. The toll-free Meeting Information Line is 800.633.9650. I encourage you to connect with me directly at 502.564.8100 or at [email protected].    As always, I ask you to pray for the safety and success of our President and his family.      

From SurfHopkins(County).com: Dr. Daniel Mongiardo(Dem candidate for U.S. Senate) Denounces Bunning’s Attempt to Block Extending Unemployed Benefits for KY Workers

HOPKINS COUNTY, KY – Dr. Daniel Mongiardo, the leading Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, this morning denounced Republican U.S. Senator and fellow Kentuckian, Jim Bunning for single-handedly blocking a 30-day extension of unemployment benefits for 1.2 million Americans set to expire Sunday, February 28th.

Mongiardo said, “Come Monday, unemployment for 1.2 million Americans and tens of thousands of Kentuckians across this Commonwealth who have lost their jobs during this recession and are struggling to keep their homes from foreclosure and put food on the table will now lose or have their unemployment and COBRA health benefits disrupted because of Jim Bunning’s cold-hearted disregard for his fellow Kentuckians.”

Professor Larry Sabato's(University of Virginia) Predictions for the November Elections

From the Professor Sabato's well respected political website

Senate 2010

+ 7 GOP (11 is needed for the Repubs to take over the Senate)

More Senate race analysis

House 2010

+ 27 GOP (37 is needed for the Republicans to take over the House)

More House race analysis

Governor 2010

+ 6 GOP

More Governor race

Follow the Money: Outside Financial Influences on the Kentucky U.S. Senate Race by DrTed

According to OpenSecrets.Com, the bible of financial contributions to candidates, big money is pouring in from outside of Kentucky on the U.S. Senate race.  The two main focuses (in proportion to total fundraised monies) are Rand Paul(R) and Jack Conway (D). Over two-thirds of Paul’s contributions come from outside of Kentucky; nearly 25% of Conway’s contributions are from people living in other states.  Outside monies account for approximately 14% of the fundraising totals for Trey Grayson(R) and 11% for Daniel Mongiardo (D).

OpenSecrets.com also lists the top five metro areas for fundraising per candidate. Dallas and Houston are among the five top fundraising metro areas for Rand Paul. Dr Paul has received over $25,000 from both of the cited Texas cities. Conway has received over $50,000 from contributors in New York and over $45,000 from those in Houston.  Grayson’s two big out-of-state metro areas are Washington D.C. (around $35,000) and Los Angeles (approximately $15,000). Chicago is a seemingly fertile ground for Dr. Mongiardo with $16,000 in contributions from people in the “2^nd City.”

 

The U.S. Senate Passes Tourism Bill; Bunning Tries to Block Benefits Extender

The Hill

 

The Senate passed the second piece of Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) jobs agenda Thursday evening, approving new tourism promotion legislation by a 78-18 vote.

 

The vote came after Reid was again prevented from passing an extension of unemployment and flood insurance, COBRA health care benefits, highway funding, small-business loans and funding for satellite television viewing — all provisions that expire on Sunday.

 

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) objected to Reid’s request, which drew the ire of Democrats.

 

 

Latest Poll Shows Rand Paul with Big Lead Over Trey Grayson in the Kentucky Republican Primary for U.S. Senate

 Louisville, CO – Among likely Republican primary voters in Kentucky, US Senatecandidate Rand Paul leads Secretary of State Trey Grayson 44% to 23%, and 33% of voters are undecided. These results are based on a 560N automated survey

conducted February 18th by Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies of Louisville,

Colorado. The survey results are weighted to reflect past Republican primary voter demographics from the 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2004 election cycles.

 

To see the entire poll click:

Download MagellanKentuckyUSSenate-TeaPartyGOPPrimarySurveyRelease022410

 

   

 

 

 

 

Trey Grayson Gets the Kentucky Right to Life's Endorsement for the Republican U.S. Senate Primary

From the Lexington Herald-Leader

The Kentucky Right to Life Association’s political action committee announced Friday that it is endorsing Secretary of State Trey Grayson in the May 18 Republican primary election for U.S. Senate.

In a statement, Grayson said he was honored to receive the endorsement of the largest anti-abortion group in Kentucky.

“The men and women involved in this organization across the Commonwealth tirelessly champion the rights of all innocent human life, and their support provides a huge boost to our campaign,” Grayson said

Kentucky State Senator Harper Angel Files E-scrap Bill

 

FRANKFORT(February 24, 2010) –Senator Denise Harper Angel, D-Louisville, is seeking legislation to put Kentucky ahead of the curve in the disposal of electronic scrap (e-scrap).

E-scrap is the most rapidly growing segment of the municipal waste stream. Electronic devices, such as televisions and computers, amount to about 200 million pounds of waste in landfills each year. Much of this material is hazardous and toxic creating a serious public safety and environmental issue.

Senate Bill 160, sponsored by Senator Harper Angel, establishes a recycling program for televisions and electronic devices under the supervision of the Department for Environmental Protection. The program is only available to consumers who use the electronics for personal or home business use. 

“Reusing or recycling electronic devices that may otherwise end up in a landfill would conserve the natural resources consumed during the production of new electronic devices and reduce the greenhouse gases emitted as a result of the manufacturing process,” said Senator Harper Angel, who is sponsoring this bill for the second year.

Lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame-retardants included in electronic devices can be harmful to people and to the environment if not disposed of properly.

Senator Robin Webb, D-Grayson, while in the House of Representatives, laid the groundwork for this legislation in 2007 as sponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 131, which created an E-scrap Task Force to study ways to increase recycling of electronic waste. 

 “Technological advancements have spawned a lucrative electronics industry whose backbone is variety of small, popular, handheld devices like mp3 players and PDAs,” said Senator Webb. “Many of these electronic devices quickly become obsolete or damaged, and are thrown away, which is generating tons of e-scrap waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that e-scrap constitutes approximately one to two percent of the solid waste stream and that approximately three billion units of e-scrap will be disposed of over the remainder of this decade. This is an issue that needs to be addressed now.”

During the 2008 Session, Senator Harper Angel sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 76, which directed the Department for Environmental Protection to make recommendations for a comprehensive statewide system for electronic waste disposal and recycling, which SB 160 follows.

The bill proposes that manufacturers of more than 1,000 televisions sold in Kentucky per year would have the responsibility of registering with the Department for Environmental Protection and paying a $1,500 annual registry fee to help cover costs incurred through the recycling program. Those manufacturers also would be required to permanently affix their trademark or logo on all TVs sold in the commonwealth. They would further be obligated to recycle or provide for the recycling of their own televisions according to their market share, which is calculated by dividing sales in Kentucky by weight from the previous year of all TV sales.

Consumers would be able to access how and where to return their end-of-life televisions for recycling on a website maintained by the department.

Covered electronic devices are identified as laptop and desktop computers, computer monitors, printers, keyboards, mice and mp3 players. Under this legislation, manufacturers of more than 1,000 sold in Kentucky would be required to permanently brand new devices sold in the state and provide take-back programs for these devices. Manufacturers also would have to register with the Department for Environmental Protection and pay a yearly registry fee of $1,500.

Manufacturers will be required to provide for the collection, transportation, and either recycling or reuse of its device through such means as a mail-back system.

“Under this bill, Kentucky consumers will have new options for proper disposal of old computers, TVs, the small, popular handheld devices such as mp3 players and other e-scrap,” said Senator Harper Angel.

Based on Environmental Protection Agency estimates, approximately 100,000 tons of e-scrap was available for disposal in Kentucky in 2007, with only 18 to 20 percent being recycled.

 “Nationwide, the EPA estimates that the number of obsolete computers that have been discarded per year has doubled over the past nine years to 40 million computers per year,” said Senator Harper Angel. “We have to change those numbers.”

SB 160 also directs the Department for Environmental Protection to host a working group to study non-consumer e-scrap recycling programs and the effect of a potential landfill ban on e-scrap in Kentucky. The findings of the working group are to be reported to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2010.

Currently 19 states and New York City have enacted e-scrap laws. Five of Kentucky’s seven border states – Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia – already have this legislation.

Senate Bill 160 has been assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee.

Senator Harper Angel represents the 35^th district, which includes a portion of Jefferson County.  Senator Webb represents the 18^th district, which includes Bracken, Carter, Greenup, Lewis, Mason and Robertson counties.

-END-

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities: The Great Recession's Impact on Services for Children, the Elderly, the Disabled, and Families

(The Political Bridge has received permission to publish materials from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

At least 45 states plus the District of Columbia have enacted budget cuts that will affect services for children, the elderly, the disabled, and families, as well as the quality of education and access to higher education (see table on page 5). Those cuts are detailed below.

Public Health Programs

At least 29 states have implemented cuts that will restrict eligibility for health insurance programs and/or access to health care services.

• Arizona has capped enrollment in KidsCare, the state’s CHIP program. Nearly 10,000 working parents in Arizona have already lost health care coverage that they received through KidsCare, due to a lack of funding for the parental component of the program. The state is also reducing its Medicaid rolls by requiring some adult beneficiaries to reapply for benefits more frequently. (Research has shown such added paperwork requirements cause many eligible people to lose coverage.)
• In the state’s latest budget agreement, California cut funding for the Healthy Families program, the state’s CHIP program. To make up for the lost funds, the nearly 1 million children in the program will have to pay more for visits to health care providers, and many will have to pay higher premiums as well. These cost increases may cause some families to drop from the program. In addition to these changes, the state cut nearly all funding for services supporting HIV/AIDS patients, and it completely eliminated funding for the state’s domestic violence shelter program and maternal, child, and adolescent health programs.
• Massachusetts sharply cut funding for subsidized health insurance for close to 28,000 legal immigrants. The affected individuals will receive at best a level of health coverage that falls far short of basic health insurance.
• Minnesota has eliminated funding for its General Assistance Medical Care program, which provides health care to 29,500 low-income persons between the ages of 21 and 64 who have no dependent children and do not qualify for federal health care programs.
• New Jersey’s new governor has announced plans to eliminate eligibility for a key state-subsidized health insurance program for nearly 12,000 legal immigrant adults and to freeze new enrollment in the program for other adults.
• Rhode Island has reduced the maximum income level at which parents can receive public health insurance to 175 percent of the federal poverty line from 185 percent, eliminating coverage for approximately 1,000 parents.
• Utah cut Medicaid funding for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and hearing therapy services for adults — as well as Medicaid provider rates for hospitals, skilled nursing, and dentists.
• Washington is increasing premiums by an average of 70 percent for a health plan serving low-income residents. Premiums for the poorest plan members — those earning up to 125 percent of the poverty line — will double. The premium increase is expected to cause between 7,000 and 17,000 enrollees to leave the program.
• Several states, including California, Michigan, Nevada, and Utah, have dropped coverage of dental and/or vision services for adult Medicaid recipients.
• Other states that have enacted cuts in Medicaid or CHIP include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Cuts include reduced or frozen reimbursements to health care providers.

Programs for the Elderly and Disabled

At least 24 states and the District of Columbia have cut medical, rehabilitative, home care, or other services needed by low-income people who are elderly or have disabilities or significantly increased the amounts that such people must pay for services.

• Alabama has ended homemaker services for approximately 1,100 older adults. These services often allow people to stay in their own homes and avoid nursing home care.
• Arizona has eliminated temporary health insurance for people with disabilities who are coping with serious medical problems. The state also eliminated general assistance, a program designed to provide time-limited cash assistance to adults with physical or mental disabilities. In addition, in February 2009 the state eliminated independent living supports for 450 elderly residents and respite-care funding for 130 caregivers. It also established a waiting list for vocational rehabilitation services, affecting 2,100 disabled individuals.
• Florida has cut Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals and community-based services for the elderly, such as meals and homemaker services.
• Georgia has reduced such programs for the elderly as services for people with Alzheimer’s Disease, elder service centers, prescription drug assistance, and elder support.
• In Massachusetts, the governor has ordered cuts in programs for elders, including home care, geriatric mental health services, and prescription drug assistance.
• Minnesota has capped enrollment at current levels for a program that provides expanded health services and care coordination for people with disabilities. The state has also restricted enrollment in or scaled back a number of programs that allow the elderly and disabled to receive services in their home that they might otherwise only be able to receive in a nursing home, hospital, or other institution. As a result, thousands of elderly and disabled Minnesotans will see their access to these services denied or significantly reduced.
• New Mexico has cut cash assistance payments for low-income disabled residents by one-third. The state provides these payments to an average of 2,100 disabled individuals each month who cannot work and are not eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
• Pennsylvania has cut its state supplemental security income (SSI) supplement by $5 per month for individuals and $10 per month for couples.
• Ohio has eliminated virtually all state funding for mental health treatment for individuals who are not eligible for the state’s Medicaid program.
• Tennessee has reduced community-based services for people with intellectual disabilities and cut nursing services for some adults with serious disabilities.
• Vermont has reduced some home-based services, such as housekeeping and shopping, for people who are elderly or disabled. Such services help people stay in their own homes and possibly delay or avoid more expensive nursing home care.
• Virginia has decreased reimbursements for special hospitals serving people with needs related to mental health, mental retardation, or substance abuse. The state also reduced pass-through grants for various aging programs and funding for local mental health providers.
• Other states that have capped or reduced funding for programs that serve people who have disabilities or are elderly include California, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington.

K-12 Education and Other Childhood Education Programs

At least 29 states and the District of Columbia have implemented cuts to K-12 education.

• California is reducing K-12 education aid to local school districts by billions of dollars. It also is cutting a variety of other programs, such as adult literacy instruction, and is reducing funding for some grants and programs aimed at helping high-needs students.
• In enacting its FY 2010 budget Georgia made a $112 million cut to the equalization component of the state’s education aid formula established to help close the gap in funding between wealthier and poorer school districts. The state has since made an additional $332 million mid-year cut to state education aid funding.
• Due to budget cuts Hawaii teachers must take 17 furlough days during the current school year. Classes will be cancelled on these furlough days, shortening the school year by more than three weeks.
• Illinois has reduced funding for early childhood education by 10 percent. As many as 10,000 children could lose eligibility for the program as a result.
• Maryland cut funding for a school breakfast pilot program, professional development for principals and educators, health clinics, gifted and talented summer centers, and math and science initiatives.
• Michigan cut its FY 2010 school aid budget by $382 million (2.9 percent) from the prior fiscal year, resulting in a $165 per-pupil spending reduction.
• Mississippi cut its FY 2010 funding for K-12 education by nearly 5 percent. Most of this cut came out of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, the state’s school funding formula, used to determine adequate funding levels needed in every district in the state.
• Massachusetts enacted cuts to Head Start, universal pre-kindergarten programs, and early intervention services to help special-needs children develop appropriately and be ready for school. The state also cut K-12 funding, including spending for mentoring, teacher training, reimbursements for special education residential schools, services for disabled students, and programs for gifted and talented students.
• In Nevada, the governor has ordered various cuts to K-12 education, including delaying an all-day kindergarten expansion, cutting per-pupil expenditures by $400 in a pilot program, eliminating funds for gifted and talented programs and a magnet program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, young children with developmental delays will lose more than 15,000 hours of needed services.
• New Jersey has cut funding for afterschool programs aimed to enhance student achievement and keep students safe between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m.. As a result, more than 11,000 students will likely lose access to these programs, and 1,100 full and part time workers will likely lose their jobs.
• Rhode Island cut state aid for K-12 education and reduced the number of children who can be served by Head Start and similar services by more than 550.
• State education grants to school districts and education programs have also been cut in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Colleges and Universities

At least 39 states have implemented cuts to public colleges and universities and/or made large increases in college tuition to make up for insufficient state funding.

• As a direct result of state budget cuts, the University of California is increasing tuition by 32 percent. In addition, the University of California is cutting freshman enrollment by 2,300 students, and the California State University system is cutting enrollment by 10,000 students.
• Florida has cut university budgets and community college funding. The University of Florida has announced it will eliminate 150 positions this year, resulting in over 50 layoffs of staff and faculty. Florida State University plans to lay off up to 200 faculty and staff members. Tuition at all 11 Florida public universities will rise by 15 percent in the 2009-2010 school year.
• Cuts to higher education funding in Indiana have resulted in Indiana State University plans to lay off 89 staff.
• Michigan is reducing financial aid programs by $135 million (a cut of over 61 percent), including a 50 percent decrease in competitive scholarships, a 44 percent decrease in the tuition grant program, and an outright elimination of nursing scholarships, the Michigan Work-Study Program, the Part-Time Independent Student Program, the Michigan Education Opportunity Grants, and the Michigan Promise Scholarships. In addition, the state reduced funding for university operations by 0.4 percent from the previous fiscal year.
• New Mexico has eliminated over 80 percent of the funding for the College Affordability Endowment Fund, a need-based scholarship program that serves 2,366 students who do not qualify for other state grants or scholarships.
• At the State University of New York, resident undergraduate tuition increased by 14 percent (over $600 per year) beginning with the spring 2009 semester.
• In Texas, a 5 percent across-the-board budget cut reduced higher education funding by $73 million, affecting financial aid programs for students.
• Virginia’s community colleges recently implemented a mid-year tuition increase in response to state budget cuts. The tuition increase will take effect during the spring 2010 semester.
• Budget cuts reduced state funding for the University of Washington by 26 percent for the current biennium. Washington State University is increasing tuition by almost 30 percent over two years.
• Other states cutting higher education operating funding and financial aid include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Cuts in Other Services

States also are making cuts in a variety of other programs, including those for very poor families and other vulnerable populations.

• Arizona is reducing TANF cash assistance grants for 38,500 low-income families, eliminating substance abuse services for 1,400 parents and guardians, and decreasing homeless shelter capacity by 1,100 individuals. The state also stopped accepting new families in its child care assistance program in February 2009, thereby denying assistance to at least 10,000 children.
• California is eliminating cost-of-living adjustments to cash assistance programs for low-income families and cutting child care subsidies.
• In Connecticut, the governor has ordered budget cuts to programs that help prevent child abuse and provide legal services for foster children.
• The District of Columbia cut its homeless services funding by more than $12 million, or 20 percent. It also reduced its cash assistance payments to needy families and cut funding for services that help low-income residents stay in their own homes and communities.
• Illinois has reduced funding for child welfare, mental health, youth services, and other programs.
• In Maine, the governor has cut funding for homeless shelters.
• Maryland has cut reimbursement rates for institutions that provide services to abused and neglected children.
• Michigan reduced funding by 38 percent for the No Worker Left Behind program, a job training and education grant program administered through the Department of Labor.
• Minnesota has cut the state’s renter’s credit by 27 percent, an average of $129. The credit provides a tax refund to over 270,000 low- and moderate-income Minnesota renters.
• The Nevada welfare agency will make it harder for low-income families to receive cash assistance and health insurance, with the expected result that fewer families will receive those benefits. For instance, the state will require some families that have lost benefits to wait longer before reapplying.
• Rhode Islandhas cut funds for affordable housing, eliminated health insurance for home-based child care providers, restricted TANF cash assistance for children, reduced health insurance for retired state workers, and cut support to localities by $10 million.
• The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice has lost almost one-fourth of its state funding, resulting in over 260 layoffs and the closing of five group homes, two dormitories, and 25 after-school programs.
• To operate within a reduced budget, the Chief Justice in Vermont ordered the court system to close for half a day each week.
• Texas has cut the number of children in a child care subsidy program by about 4,000 and increased waiting lists.
• A number of other states are making cuts to child care assistance programs, including Massachusetts and Ohio.

Some states, such as Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wisconsin, have implemented cuts to localities, leading to local concerns about reductions in funding for policing, child care assistance, meals for the elderly, hospice care, services for veterans and seniors, and other services.

Cuts in State Government Workforces

At least 42 states plus the District of Columbia are eliminating or not filling various state jobs, imposing mandatory furloughs (time off without pay), or making other cuts affecting their state workforce. Such steps can make it more difficult for residents to obtain state services. Cutting staff — whether on a permanent or temporary basis — also may contribute to increased unemployment.

• A number of states are imposing furloughs and/or pay cuts for some state employees. These include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
• Arizona closed down 11 Department of Motor Vehicle offices, resulting in layoffs of 115 employees.
• Iowa will lay off almost 200 state employees due to a recent across-the-board state agency cut of 10 percent.
• New Jersey has eliminated 2,000 state positions by encouraging early retirement, leaving vacancies unfilled, and laying off staff.
• In recent rounds of budget cuts Maryland has laid off some 270 employees. Most of these positions have come from the Health, Public Safety, and Transportation departments.
• Missouri has laid off nearly 700 workers to address its mid-year deficit.
• The Tennessee governor has announced elimination of over 2,000 state positions, about 5 percent of the state workforce. Some 1,500 employees accepted buy-outs for early retirement.
• In Washington, a hiring freeze imposed by the governor in August 2008 caused the state’s workforce to decline by more than 1,400. In January 2009 the state replaced the freeze with a cap on the number of budgeted positions at each state agency; the state’s workforce is expected to fall by another 2,600 under the cap.
• Virginia has laid off several hundred workers.
• Hiring freezes have also been ordered in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
• Additional states — such as Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, plus the District of Columbia — have laid off or announced plans to lay off state employees.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that these cuts are having a significant direct impact on employment. The total number of people employed by state and local governments has fallen by 172,000 since January 2009, at a time when the need for the services produced by those workers has increased. These employment numbers are in addition to other measures such as furloughs and cuts to benefits and wages that also reduce workers’ purchasing power and thereby undermine the ability of the national economy to recover.

End Notes:

[1]Total education funding through ARRA, including both fiscal relief and programmatic funding, was found to have created or saved 326,593 education jobs. US Department of Education, “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Report: Summary of Programs and State-by-State Data,” November 2, 2009.

[2] Under the proposal, some of these cuts would not take effect if the federal government provides a very large amount of additional aid -- beyond what is currently being considered by Congress -- but most analysts including the state Legislative Analyst Office consider such levels of additional aid unlikely.

[3]February 4, 2010 letter (from Governor Douglas and Governor Manchin) to House and Senate leadership to request assistance for states in protecting jobs and speeding economic recovery by extending the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's (ARRA) enhanced federal match for Medicaid (FMAP) for two additional quarters.

[4]See Elizabeth McNichol and Nicholas Johnson, “Recession Continues to Batter State Budgets; State Responses Could Slow Recovery,” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Revised February 25, 2010.

[5] “Tax Measures Help Balance State Budgets,” revised July 9, 2009 and “Federal Fiscal Relief Is Working as Intended,” revised June 29, 2009.