After several years of lower poverty rates, higher income, and broader health coverage, gains slowed — and in some cases stalled — in the states in 2017, new Census data show. For example, fewer states reduced their share of people below the federal poverty line (about $25,000 for a family of four), according to...
off the charts
POLICY INSIGHT
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
States Should Adopt Policies to Help Dismantle Racial Barriers to Broader Prosperity
September 13, 2018
The benefits from the nation’s continuing economic recovery haven’t been shared equally across racial and ethnic groups, and even the gains that we’ve seen are slowing, new Census Bureau data show. That heightens the need for states to advance policies that can tear down racial and ethnic barriers to economic opportunity.
Building strong, thriving state economies and communities...
States Boosting Opportunity for Young Immigrants by Expanding College Access
July 13, 2018
Lawmakers in several states this spring put a college education within reach for students who are undocumented, boosting opportunity for striving young people and helping strengthen their economies over the long term. These actions show that even at a time of turmoil for federal immigration policy, states can take an inclusive approach that will benefit all residents.
For example, in...
Maryland Likely to Expand EITC to Young Workers Without Kids
April 24, 2018
Maryland lawmakers this month passed, and Governor Larry Hogan is expected to support, legislation to expand the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to an estimated 40,000 more low-income Marylanders by lowering the eligibility age for workers not raising children in their home from 25 to 18. That will help many young workers who are just entering the workforce and supporting themselves on very low wages.
Tax Day 2018: Top State Tax Charts
April 11, 2018
To accompany our series of charts on federal tax issues, these charts put state taxes — and the services they support — into context.
State taxes help lay the foundation for economic opportunity and broad prosperity for families, businesses, and communities by...
On Equal Pay Day, a Look at How EITCs Help Women in Every State
April 10, 2018
Today is Equal Pay Day, when we recognize the persistent gap in earnings between women and men. It’s also an opportunity to think about things that states can do — such as adopting or increasing state earned income tax credits (EITCs), raising minimum wages, and investing in child care and paid leave — to buoy low-paid women who support themselves and their families.
Looking at full-...
State EITCs Continue to Gain Momentum
February 7, 2018
There’s growing momentum in the states to adopt and expand state-level earned income tax credits (EITCs). In 2017, Hawaii, Montana, and South Carolina each created a new EITC, and California, Illinois, and Minnesota expanded their existing credits, as we’ve highlighted in a...
4 Steps to Building Thriving State Economies
October 5, 2017
Everyone in America — regardless of where they were born, the state where they live, the color of their skin, or the size of their bank account — should have the opportunity to achieve their goals. But ensuring broad opportunity and prosperity won’t happen by chance. Smart state fiscal policies play a critical role.
Our four-point...
Don’t Undermine Economic Progress of 2016
September 15, 2017
The economy has fueled income gains across the states, yet Congress is considering proposals that would undermine them. As we reported Tuesday, incomes rose nationally more from 2014 to 2016 than in any other two-year period in five decades. Now, according to...
Kansas Learned Its Lesson, But Will Other States?
June 15, 2017
Kansas’ legislature overrode Governor Brownback’s veto last week and nearly fully undid the massive income tax cuts that it enacted five years ago. A Republican-run legislature overruling a Republican governor over the wisdom of big tax cuts has garnered widespread attention. In other...
