What’s The Best Way For States To Overcome A Budget Shortfall?

| May 14, 2015 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:337;s:4:"file";s:57:"2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:55:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-554x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:554;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1432242511:1
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:9:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:683;s:4:"file";s:34:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget.jpg";}s:18:"full-1432242792249";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:4:"file";s:49:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242768315.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-253x169.jpg";s:5:"width";i:253;s:6:"height";i:169;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-507x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:507;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-507x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:507;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-466x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:466;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-397x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:397;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => StockMonkeys.com
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_is_custom_background] => Array
        (
            [0] => wbhm
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:175789;s:14:"optimized_size";i:123514;s:7:"percent";d:29.739999999999998;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:39350;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27604;s:7:"percent";d:29.850000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-336x189.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:14045;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10182;s:7:"percent";d:27.5;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:91:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3144;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3063;s:7:"percent";d:2.5800000000000001;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-600x337.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:39366;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27620;s:7:"percent";d:29.84;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:24482;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17765;s:7:"percent";d:27.440000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-554x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:31237;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19964;s:7:"percent";d:36.090000000000003;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-470x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:24165;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17316;s:7:"percent";d:28.34;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1664691707 
1431638326

With Alabama facing a budget shortfall of more than $250 million, legislators have a few ideas on how to fill the gap: a lottery, gambling, raising taxes. But what works best? Alabama’s not the first state with budget problems. How have other states fixed their budgets?

For an expert perspective, WBHM talked with Mike Leachman, Director of State Fiscal Research at The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. They’re a non-partisan research and policy institute which works on fiscal policy at the federal and state level. Leachman tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley some proven strategies for long term revenue growth, and about issues other states face with gambling.

 

Pope Leo XIV says ‘inhuman treatment of immigrants’ in the U.S. isn’t ‘pro-life’

Pope Leo XIV weighed in on U.S. politics, saying that Catholic politicians must be judged on the full range of their policy positions and suggesting that the country's immigration policy is "inhuman."

A new documentary about a dastardly worm and a heroic effort by Jimmy Carter

"The President and the Dragon,' premiering today, looks at Carter's momentous decision to try and wipe out a devastating and neglected disease. We spoke to writer and co-director Waleed Eltayeb.

Activists say Israel’s navy has begun intercepting a Gaza-bound aid flotilla

The Global Sumud Flotilla, with Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela's grandson and European lawmakers aboard, includes some 50 boats and 500 activists and is carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid.

Colombia: The birthplace of cumbia

One of the most listened-to genres in the Americas, photographers and storytellers Karla Gachet and Ivan Kashinsky document cumbia in Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and the United States.

Jane Goodall, legendary primatologist, has died at age 91

Jane Goodall, primatologist who transformed our understanding of the lives of apes, has died, according to an announcement from the Jane Goodall Institute.

Trump freezes $18 billion in funding for NYC, home to key Democratic leaders

On the first day of the federal government shutdown, the Trump administration froze "roughly $18 billion" in infrastructure projects for New York City, home to two of Trump's Democratic congressional opponents. It's not the first time Trump has threatened city funding over politics.

More Government Coverage