Washington, D.C. — A report released today by the Pew Center on the States shows that some of the same pressures that have pushed California toward economic disaster are wreaking havoc in a number of other states, with potentially damaging consequences for the entire country. Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin join California as the 10 most troubled states, according to Pew’s analysis, “Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril”.
See comparison chart and more about Hawaii here:
https://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewcenteronthestatesorg/Beyond_California_Appendix.pdf
These states’ budget troubles can have significant repercussions for their residents: higher taxes or fees; layoffs or furloughs of state workers; longer waits for public services; more crowded classrooms; higher college tuition and less support for the poor or unemployed. They also pose challenges for the nation as a whole. Together, the 10 states account for more than one-third of America’s population and economic output. And actions taken by state governments to balance their budgets