State Budgets

Tax and Fiscal Policy Academy for Newly-Elected State Legislators

The ALEC Center for State Fiscal Reform recently hosted a successful Tax and Fiscal Policy Academy for newly-elected state legislators. The event took place November 28-30 in Washington, D.C. with 20 legislative attendees from around the country. The purpose of the Academy was to provide nonpartisan policy training and a forum for newly-elected state legislators to discuss detailed policy solutions regarding pension reform, tax reform and priority-based budgeting.

Academy presentation topics included economic competitiveness among the states, how to best combat cronyism, unleashing economic growth and overcoming obstacles to tax reform. Legislators also participated in discussions where they illustrated the fiscal condition of their respective states, and were then able to share thoughts with each other, in an effort to determine best practices.

South Dakota Representative-elect Taffy Howard remarked, “I’ve heard about ALEC before this, but never had a clue what you all actually do and am so very thankful for the opportunity you have provided me.”

Missouri Representative-elect Hannah Kelly expressed a similar sentiment after the Academy: “I really appreciated the first-hand stories from legislators across the nation. It has helped prepare me so I am able to deal with similar issues next session.”

These statements attest to the effectiveness of ALEC Academies, which give attendees the opportunity to share ideas and network in an environment conducive to a deep-dive into particular issue areas.

The ALEC Center for State Fiscal Reform is grateful to have hosted such an engaged and diverse group of newly-elected state legislators. ALEC looks forward to working with all newly-elected legislators during the coming legislative sessions to provide the quality, nonpartisan research and analysis ALEC has produced for more than 40 years.


In Depth: State Budgets

Smart budgeting is vital to a state’s financial health. The ALEC State Budget Reform Toolkit offers more than 20 policy ideas for addressing today’s shortfalls in a forthright manner, without resorting to budget gimmicks or damaging tax increases. One way to stabilize budgets over time is to embrace…

+ State Budgets In Depth