State of the States: An Analysis of the 2015 Governors’ Addresses

by Ted Lafferty & Jonathan Williams

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Introduction

Each year, governors across the nation give a state-of-the-state address to communicate to their constituents what they did—or did not—accomplish this year.

State of the States is an in-depth study of governors’ tax, budget and pension reform proposals. The report gives insight into which states proposed economic reform to protect taxpayers and which states took steps toward increasing state revenue. This report also features graphics that reveal regional trends in proposed reforms while also highlighting which states have a newly elected governor.

Written by Jonathan Williams and Theodore Lafferty of the ALEC Center for State Fiscal Reform, the report reveals which states will create economic opportunity from the proposed tax, budget and pension reforms. The report’s state-by-state analysis includes governors’ proposals to balance state budgets, strategies to streamline government, willingness to engage in pension reform and consideration of fundamental tax reform.