In a recent Illinois Issues article, I looked at the post-recession budget stories of three other populous states: New Jersey, California and Texas. These states have all had ups and downs following the economic collapse in 2008. Some of the details are enviable, like Texas' economic growth and California's ability to balance its budget after grappling with staggering deficits. Other aspects serve as cautionary tales of how not to deal with big budget challenges, like pension funding. (I'm looking at you, New Jersey.)
Overall, it was very interesting to see the ways we are similar and the ways we are different. Sometimes it is easy to put our heads down and not look beyond Illinois and the way we do things here -- especially recently, when all the bad news we are bombarded with may leave us hanging our heads. But the other laboratories of democracy in our country can give us ideas on how to tackle our own problems and advance warning about potential pitfalls on the horizon.
If you are interested in checking out what is happening in other states, there are lots of great resources you can find online. The National Conference of State Legislatures puts together lists of state legislation on certain issues. Its a great way to track legislative trends. Stateline is a high-quality source for news reporting on the states. While doing research for my story, I came across an informative tool from the Pew Charitable Trusts. It's called the Fiscal 50. It lets you pick states and generate visual comparisons of different aspects of their fiscal situation -- like spending and long term obligations, such as borrowing and pension obligations. It's a pretty nifty way to get quick info on how Illinois stacks up.
