State Budget Troubles Worsen

At least 39 states faced or are facing shortfalls in their budgets for this and/or next year. Over half the states had already cut spending, used reserves, or raised revenues in order to adopt a balanced budget for the current fiscal year — which started July 1 in most states. Now, their budgets have fallen out of balance again. New gaps have opened up in the budgets of at least 27 states plus the District of Columbia just three months after they struggled to close the largest budget shortfalls seen since the recession of 2001. And these problems are expected to continue into next year.