States in crisis
Facing major budget problems, governors around the nation are proposing cuts to education, health care and state employee benefits.
- Budget shortfalls
- Pension liabilities
- Proposed cuts
- Party in power
Click to change map:
- Shortfall as a percent of budget
- Total shortfall
More than 40 states are projecting billions of dollars in budget shortfalls for fiscal 2012. But, unlike the federal government, most states have some sort of balanced-budget law. That means the shortfall -- the gap between state revenues (taxes, fees, etc.) and the cost of running the government -- must be closed before a state adopts its final budget for the year.
| State | Shortfall as pct. of budget | Total shortfall (in millions) |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 11 11% | 974 $974 |
| California | 29 29% | 25400 $25,400 |
| Illinois | 45 45% | 15000 $15,000 |
| Texas | 31 31% | 13400 $13,400 |
| New Jersey | 37 37% | 10472 $10,472 |
| New York | 17 17% | 9026 $9,026 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 18% | 4500 $4,500 |
| Minnesota | 25 25% | 3900 $3,900 |
| North Carolina | 20 20% | 3800 $3,800 |
| Connecticut | 21 21% | 3673 $3,673 |
| Florida | 15 15% | 3600 $3,600 |
| Ohio | 11 11% | 3000 $3,000 |
| Washington | 18 18% | 2850 $2,850 |
| Michigan | 9 9% | 1848 $1,848 |
| Wisconsin | 13 13% | 1810 $1,810 |
| Massachusetts | 6 6% | 1780 $1,780 |
| Oregon | 25 25% | 1750 $1,750 |
| Georgia | 10 10% | 1700 $1,700 |
| Louisiana | 22 22% | 1700 $1,700 |
| Maryland | 12 12% | 1600 $1,600 |
| Nevada | 45 45% | 1522.5 $1,523 |
| Missouri | 14 14% | 1114.5 $1,115 |
| Colorado | 14 14% | 988 $988 |
| South Carolina | 17 17% | 877 $877 |
| Mississippi | 14 14% | 634 $634 |
| Oklahoma | 11 11% | 600 $600 |
| Kansas | 9 9% | 492.4 $492 |
| Utah | 9 9% | 437 $437 |
| Maine | 16 16% | 436.4 $436 |
| Hawaii | 8 8% | 410 $410 |
| New Mexico | 8 8% | 410 $410 |
| Nebraska | 9 9% | 313.6 $314 |
| Idaho | 13 13% | 300 $300 |
| Iowa | 6 6% | 294 $294 |
| Rhode Island | 10 10% | 290 $290 |
| Indiana | 2 2% | 269.7 $270 |
| Delaware | 6 6% | 207.7 $208 |
| West Virginia | 4 4% | 155 $155 |
| Vermont | 14 14% | 150 $150 |
| South Dakota | 11 11% | 127 $127 |
| Montana | 4 4% | 80 $80 |
| Arkansas | 0 0% | 0 $0 |
| Alaska | 0 0% | 0 $0 |
| North Dakota | 0 0% | 0 $0 |
NOTE: The District of Columbia, New Hampshire and Tennessee have shortfalls but the amounts are unknown. Kentucky and Virginia have two-year budgets, and closed their fiscal 2012 shortfalls when they enacted their 2011-2012 budgets.
SOURCES: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, National Conference of State Legislatures.
GRAPHIC: Karen Yourish and Laura Stanton / The Washington Post - February 2011.
