Resource Links

Resource Links

Recent Reports of Interest (non-MBPC)

CBPP: Poverty Rose, Median Income Fell, & Job-Based Health Insurance Weakened in 2008

Median household income declined 3.6 percent in 2008 after adjusting for inflation, the largest single-year decline on record, and reached its lowest point since 1997.
The poverty rate rose to 13.2 percent, its highest level since 1997. The number of people in poverty hit 39.8 million, the highest level since 1960.
The number of people who are uninsured jumped by 682,000...and reached 46.3 million.

The figures for 2009, a year in which the economy has weakened further and unemployment has climbed substantially, will look considerably worse, and the figures will likely worsen again in 2010 if, as many economic forecasters expect, unemployment continues to rise in that year

Link: http://www.cbpp.org/files/9-10-09pov.pdf

CBPP: Stimulus Keeping 6 Million Americans Out Of Poverty In 2009

“Although meant chiefly to help the broad economy, the stimulus plan Congress enacted earlier this year…had the important secondary effect of significantly ameliorating the recession’s impact on poverty. This analysis…examines seven of the recovery act’s provisions — two improvements in unemployment insurance, three tax credits for working families, an increase in food stamps, and a one-time payment for retirees, veterans, and people with disabilities — and finds that they alone are preventing more than 6 million Americans from falling below the poverty line and are reducing the severity of poverty for 33 million more.”

Link: http://www.cbpp.org/files/9-9-09pov2.pdf

ITEP: Who Pays? A Distributional Analaysis of the Tax Systems in all Fifty States

The Montana fact sheet can be found here.

Link: http://www.itepnet.org/whopays.htm

Legislative Fiscal Division: Ending Funding Balance $22.8 Million Higher Than Anticipated

The Legislative Fiscal Division offered a preliminary estimate to the Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee showing a fiscal year 2009 ending fund balance $22.8 million higher than predicted by the 2009 (61st) Legislature. The ending fund balance is higher than anticipated despite lower than anticipated revenues from individual income tax returns, suggesting that Montanans' incomes have been more negatively impacted by the recession than the legislature predicted. However, other taxes, including the corporate income tax, and "reversions," or money that state agencies had authority to spend in fiscal year 2009 but did not, were higher than anticipated.

The power point presentation can be found here.

The full report can be found here.

Link: http://leg.mt.gov/content/Publications/fiscal/interim/financemty_sept2009/gf-fin...

National Health Reform Brings Few Costs for States

A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reveals that the recently passed national health reform bill will create very little costs for state governments.

Health reform’s critics argue that states will bear a significant share of the costs of the new law’s Medicaid expansion, placing an unaffordable financial burden on states. The argument does not withstand scrutiny. In its first five years, the Medicaid expansion will add just 1.25 percent to what states were projected to spend on Medicaid over that period in the absence of health reform, while providing health coverage to 16 million more low-income adults and children.

Link: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3161

The Balanced Approach to Closing State Deficits

Closing state budget deficits is never easy, but everyone can agree that a one-sided approach that focuses only on cuts won't work. Because reduced funding could decimate public education, health care infrastructure and environmental protections, Legislatures across the country are taking a balanced approach to fiscal policy by raising revenue.

Raising revenue during a recession isn't just possible, it's instrumental to recovery because it maintains jobs, consumer spending, and services that support growth.

A recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explains these seven components to the balanced approach to state services:

Efficiency – focusing on the goals of expenditures and whether there are better ways to reach those goals;
Using all available resources – employing reserves, rainy day funds, and federal fiscal relief funds responsibly and wisely;
Scrutinizing all spending, not just what is appropriated through the budget – including programmatic expenditures made in the form of tax breaks;
Improved collections – aggressively seeking taxes due that are not being paid;
Tax increases – particularly those that have a more positive impact on the economy than spending cuts;
Prioritization – making careful decisions based on goals and effectiveness when budgets must be cut; and
Paying close attention to future impact while fixing today’s problems.

Link: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3084

State Government

Legislative Fiscal Division

Find fiscal analysis of state government, estimates of state revenue collections, analysis of proposed executive budgets, and analysis of final legislative budgets.

Link: http://leg.mt.gov/css/fiscal/default.asp

Montana Department of Health and Human Services

DPHHS is the state agency responsible for improving and protecting the health, well-being, and self-reliance of all Montanans. On the DPHHS website you can find information about government programs and services such as Medicaid , Children’s Health Insurance, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps. Also find health data and statistical reports.

Link: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/

Montana Department of Revenue

In addition to forms and resources for taxpayers, the Department of Revenue produces comprehensive biennial reports that provide an overview of Montana’s various taxes.

Link: http://revenue.mt.gov/revenue/

Montana Laws

Browse and search Montana laws.

Link: http://data.opi.state.mt.us/bills/mca_toc/index.htm

Montana Legislature Homepage

Find legislators and bills by legislative session. Track the work of legislative interim committees.

Link: http://leg.mt.gov/css/default.asp

Montana State Homepage

Homepage of the Montana State government website.

Link: http://mt.gov

Office of Public Instructions

Find data and statistics on Montana schools and student achievement.

Link: http://opi.mt.gov/

State Reinvestment

The Montana Reinvestment site is the state website documenting the use of federal stimulus act (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funding in Montana. It includes a breakdown of spending allocated by the Montana Legislature and reports to the federal government.

Link: http://www.recovery.mt.gov/default.mcpx

Montana Economy and Demographics

Montana Kids Count

Find data and reports on the status of children in Montana. The Montana Kids Count Data Book includes an in-depth analysis of how children in Montana are doing in relation to health, social, economic, and education indicators. County specific data is also provided.

Link: http://www.montanakidscount.org/

Montana Research & Analysis Bureau

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry’s Research & Analysis Bureau collects and analyzes labor market information about Montana. Find a number of reports on Montana’s labor market and supply, as well as state statistics on employment, unemployment, and wage information.

Link: http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.org/?PAGEID=67&SUBID=146

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Montana at a Glance

Link: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.mt.htm

University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research provides data and reports on economic and sector performance throughout Montana. The Bureau’s annual Outlook Book provides and economic forecast for the nation, state, and counties.

Link: http://www.bber.umt.edu/

Recovery and Reinvestment in Montana

State Reinvestment

The Montana Reinvestment site is the state website documenting the use of federal stimulus act (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funding in Montana. It includes a breakdown of spending allocated by the Montana Legislature and reports to the federal government.

Link: http://www.recovery.mt.gov/default.mcpx

U.S. Recovery

The recovery.gov website provides overviews and detailed information and data regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including state-by-state analysis of distribution of recovery act funds by federal agencies.

Link: http://www.recovery.gov/

Research and Policies for Building Shared Prosperity

Center for American Progress

Link: http://www.americanprogress.org/

Center for Economic and Policy Research

Link: http://www.cepr.net/

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Important Reports

Link: http://www.cbpp.org/

CLASP - Center for Law and Social Policy

Link: http://www.clasp.org

Economic Policy Institute

Important Reports:

Link: http://www.epi.org/

Strategies to Eliminate Poverty

Link: http://strategiestoendpoverty.org/home.htm

Research and Policies for Fair and Adequate Taxes

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Important Reports

Link: http://www.itepnet.org/

States Respond to Recession Through Tax Changes

The recession has devastated funding for state services, costing jobs, income, and services for people throughout the United States. In response to the crisis of public service, many states are making intelligent changes to their tax codes to make up budget gaps and stimulate economic growth.

A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explains how new taxes have helped save jobs and services across the country. These are some of the measures states have taken to raise revenue for public jobs, education, health care, and other services:

Eliminating tax exemptions
Broadening tax bases
Increasing rates for high income filers

Read the full report at the link below.

Link: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3108

Tax Policy Center

Link: http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/

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