Finance

Funding for WIC food assistance remains uncertain amid budget fight 

As food costs increase, more women than expected have been signing up for the program. Without increased funding, states may have to turn women and their children away. 

Traffic tickets can be profitable, and fairness isn’t the bottom line in city courts where judges impose the fines

COMMENTARY | Research shows police officers issue more traffic tickets and judges impose more fines when their city gets the money and when the budget is tight. But if states change the rules about who keeps the money, the incentives for revenue maximization go away.

Should states and localities be worried about the U.S. downgrade?

Or about the possibility of another one amid the budget showdown in Congress? Fitch Ratings’ decision to knock the federal government’s credit rating down a notch last month doesn’t directly affect state and local credit quality. But it’s a warning shot.

Low-income water assistance program set to end

Advocates are pushing to extend the program as poverty rates in the U.S. are on rise, an increase attributed to the end of other expanded pandemic benefits for food, rent and unemployment.

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Today’s finance teams carry a heavy burden, supporting everything from growth strategies to long-term planning – all while continuously delivering monthly and quarterly numbers and keeping cash flowing. But even as demands on finance departments grow, many still spend excessive time using paper, spreadsheets, and e-mails to process vendor invoices, approvals, and payments.

Are tax incentives boons or boondoggles?

Though there’s lots of evidence that the economic development tool may not be effective, it is still in wide use. Fortunately, there are ways to control the potential waste of taxpayer dollars.

Crunch time in Congress could hit state and local programs

The legislative logjam on Capitol Hill is backing up everything from child care to disaster funding. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

Treasury expands the uses of ARPA funding

Under interim rules, the federal agency would allow state and local governments to spend coronavirus relief money on natural disasters, additional transportation projects and housing, among other uses.

Transit agencies scramble to piece together funding as ‘fiscal cliff’ looms

Ridership in San Francisco and New York remains below pre-pandemic levels. As the end of federal aid nears, these agencies are racing to shore up funding.

An emerging ‘greenium’? New research says green bonds cost governments less

Amid an ESG backlash in some states, the finding could lead to more governments seeking an ESG-related label for bonds that will fund socially or environmentally sustainable projects.

How one city is looking to future-proof its budgeting process

Nationwide, cities are attempting to improve their budgeting. But none appear to be taking more dramatic steps than fast-growing Fort Worth, Texas.

Under new state law, Texas will bill electric vehicle drivers an extra $200 a year

The new registration fee is meant to make up for the state’s lost revenue from gasoline taxes that are used to pay for road construction and maintenance.

Why it’s more expensive for Black towns to borrow money

"This is how your sewage gets funded, this is how your water gets funded, this is how public schools and public services are funded," one expert says.

What if we had fully funded safety net programs?

With 100% participation rates in fully funded social services, poverty nationwide would decrease by nearly a third and 4.8 million kids would be lifted out of poverty, according to a new study from the Urban Institute.

A GOP bill would ban California’s pig measure and others like it

The proposal, which is part of the farm bill, would block states from passing laws that could change how agriculture is practiced in other states. Critics say it could upend hundreds of state and local laws.

Analysis: A new approach to defining persistent poverty

COMMENTARY | Switching from using counties to census tracts in order to define persistent poverty may hurt rural communities and their chances when competing for federal dollars.

What happens when high-earners leave cities, taking their spending power with them?

Urban-to-rural migration can shrink a municipality’s tax base, reduce property values and slow new business development, a new report says. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

Food assistance for new moms and toddlers projected to fall short

The number of low-income women signing up for the federal Women, Infants and Children program is sharply increasing. But funding levels don't look likely to change. 

After enacting strict abortion laws, many states are turning to tax breaks for expectant parents

Four states have approved new tax credits or deductions that allow taxpayers to claim unborn children. Nearly a dozen are expected to follow. But do these laws actually help expectant mothers?

IRS seeks states’ input on its direct file pilot

States have until Sept. 4 to tell the IRS if they’re interested in participating.

Rural Texas may lose out on billions in broadband infrastructure funding due to federal regulations

Grant applicants are required to have a line of credit from a major bank and put up 25% of the project cost ahead of time. That will likely disqualify many small internet service providers in rural areas.